On Friday, September 15, the Allahabad High Court ordered the Chhata tehsil officials in Mathura to modify revenue records to reflect the plot of land in the name of the Banke Bihari Ji Maharaj temple that had been incorrectly labelled as a Qabristan, or Muslim graveyard.
A single bench of Justice Saurabh Srivastava issued the order in response to a plea submitted by Shri Bihari ji Sewa Trust, Mathura, which stated that the temple land’s ownership was changed in revenue records in the year 2004.
On August 11, 2023, the Allahabad High Court ordered the Chhata tehsildar of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh to provide an explanation on how the ownership of the Banke Bihari Ji Maharaj temple land was altered in revenue records in 2004 in the name of a Qabristan, or Muslim graveyard.
Notably, the writ petition filed by Shri Bihari ji Sewa Trust, Mathura had urged the court to direct revenue authorities in Chhata, Mathura, to rectify the revenue entry that had been made ‘illegally’ against the Qabristan instead of the Banke Bihari Ji Maharaj Temple.
According to the Shri Bihari Ji Seva Trust, Plot number 1081 was recorded in the name of Banke Bihari Maharaj from ancient times. Bhola Khan Pathan, in collusion with revenue officials, had the said site registered as a graveyard in 2004.
The temple trust filed an objection after receiving the information. The matter was escalated to the Waqf Board, and a seven-member committee investigated and discovered that the graveyard was incorrectly registered. Despite this, Bihari ji’s name was not recorded on the land. Subsequently, a petition has been filed.