[The Times of India] In 53-yr case, judge rules against Muslim side’s claim over UP ‘Mahabharata’ site

The court of civil judge (junior division), Baghpat, has dismissed a 53-year-old lawsuit filed by Muslim petitioners over alleged encroachment on a 100-bigha piece of land. The land, located in Barnawa village of Baghpat district, is believed by Hindus to be the site of the ‘lakshagriha’ (palace of lac) mentioned in the epic ‘Mahabharata’. The site, which houses a tomb of Sufi saint Badruddin Shah and a graveyard, is currently protected under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The lawsuit was initiated in 1970 by Mukim Khan, the then caretaker of the graveyard, who sought to “restrain Hindus from encroaching upon the land, destroying graves and holding havan”. The court found loopholes in the plaintiff’s claims on the property, such as the inability to provide the name of the ruler who made the graveyard a waqf property. The court also noted that there is no mention of the graveyard in government records.

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