Syedna row: HC restricts entry of Bohra Muslims for hearing

This February 24, 2014 photo shows thousands of Bohra community people who gathered to mark the end of the 40-day mourning period for Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin at the Saifee Masjid in Mumbai. Photo: Vivek Bendre

Due to security issue, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday restricted the entry of Bohra Muslims in the court premises for the hearing of Syedna succession row matter. Incumbent Syedna's uncle Khuzaima Qutbuddin has moved the court contesting his position.

Khuzaima Qutbuddin has sought his appointment as the rightful spiritual leader of the community, seeking restrain on his nephew Mufaddal Saifuddin from discharging his duties as Syedna.

During each hearing, many Bohra Muslims attend the court proceedings. On Wednesday too, hundreds of them thronged the court, prompting the police to approach the Chief Justice for security reasons.

Thereafter, Justice Gautam Patel, who was hearing the litigation, directed both the parties to disperse the crowd. "There is security issue and crowd management problem. Disperse the crowd, or else we will have to rise," he told both the parties.

Thereafter, he issued a formal order restricting the entry to 25 persons from each side. The names of the persons attending the trial will have to be informed 48 hours in advance. These persons will be issued passes which will be verified by the police before allowing them entry in the court premises.

Meanwhile, during the proceedings, plaintiff Khuzema Qutbuddin and defendant incumbent Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin filed sets of admissible documents. Senior counsel Ravi Kadam, representing petitioner Khuzema Qutbuddin, sought deletion of a few documents he had submitted to the court. He contested the correctness of those documents, seeking their deletion.

The defendants were given time till next month to file a reply to this application. The court will hear the matter next on April 15. Cross examination of witnesses will begin from April 27 when Khuzema Qutbuddin is likely to depose before the court.

On Wednesday, the court also took on record a set of documents which require translation from classical Arabic. "It is however agreed that these documents relied on by the plaintiff may be marked subject to cross examination and subject to proof of translation," Justice Patel said in his order.