High Court to hear Bhojshala case today:HC to examine claims and objections on ASI survey findings before taking further action

A crucial hearing in the long-running dispute over the Bhojshala Complex in Dhar is scheduled for Monday before the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore Bench. The court will take up the matter after asking all petitioners and respondents to submit their claims, objections and suggestions on the survey report prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The directions were issued during the previous hearing on February 23, when the court instructed both sides to file their responses within two weeks. The next course of legal action will be decided based on the submissions made by the parties. ASI conducted nearly 100-day survey The ASI carried out an extensive scientific survey of the Bhojshala complex following the High Court’s orders. The exercise began on March 22, 2024, and continued for about 100 days. During the survey, investigators examined the structure and conducted limited excavation within the premises and in a 50-metre radius around it. The team included specialists such as archaeologists, epigraphists, chemists and other experts, who documented structural features, inscriptions and other archaeological remains at the site. Court says report already opened During the last hearing, the High Court observed that the ASI report had already been opened and copies had been made available to the petitioners. Therefore, the court said there was no need to unseal the report again in court. Instead, all parties were directed to submit their written objections and suggestions regarding the findings of the 98-day scientific investigation before the next hearing. Advocate Vinay Joshi, representing the Hindu Front for Justice, said the petitioners would comply with the court’s directions. “As per the court’s order, we will submit our objections and suggestions on the ASI report within two weeks,” Joshi said, adding that the next hearing was scheduled for March 16. Case Briefly Transferred to Main Bench Earlier developments in the case saw the matter briefly shifted from the Indore Bench to the High Court’s principal bench in Jabalpur. On January 22, the Supreme Court of India directed the Indore Bench of the High Court to move forward with the hearing within three weeks. Before this, the legal proceedings following the ASI survey had remained stalled for some time. Later, during a hearing on February 18, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf transferred the case back to the Indore Bench. The matter concerns constitutional questions related to the right to perform Hindu worship versus permission for Muslim prayers at the disputed site. Key findings in the ASI report The ASI survey report includes evidence of inscriptions dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries. According to the report: These inscriptions suggest that the site may have served multiple purposes over different historical periods. Arabic-Persian and Sanskrit inscriptions discovered The report states that 56 Arabic-Persian inscriptions were discovered at the Bhojshala complex. These include religious phrases, prayers and personal names. At the same time, inscriptions dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries were found in Sanskrit and Prakrit. Some of them contain references to literary works such as “Parijatmanjari-Nātika” and “Avanikarmasatam.” Archaeologists also found evidence that some stones had earlier inscriptions erased and were reused later, indicating multiple phases of construction or modification at the site. Site used for multiple purposes over time The ASI report further notes that the Bhojshala complex appears to have been used for religious, educational and social purposes during different periods of history. It also refers to conservation efforts carried out during the British era and in subsequent years, documenting how the structure has been preserved over time. Next phase of legal proceedings With objections and suggestions from both sides expected to be submitted, the High Court will now examine the ASI findings in detail. The outcome of Monday’s hearing may determine the next stage of legal proceedings in the Bhojshala dispute, one of the most closely watched heritage and religious cases in Madhya Pradesh.