Hyderabad, Nov 5 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh High Court Monday ordered status quo at a temple abutting the historic Charminar monument here.

The court directed that no construction activity be taken up at the site. The division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Vilas V. Afzalpurkar was dealing with three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by corporators belonging to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).

Mohsin Balala, one of the petitioners, told IANS that the court directed that status quo as of Oct 31, 2012 be maintained. The court adjourned and posted the next hearing after four weeks.

The petitioners had sought a stay on construction activity, saying it posed a threat to the over 400-year-old Charminar, a protected monument.

The Bhagyalakshmi Temple Committee, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and some other groups had impleaded themselves in the case, opposing the PILs.

Tension has been building in the city since Oct 31 when some persons tried to expand the temple abutting the monument, leading to protests from people belonging to the other community.

Violent incidents took place in the communally sensitive Old City Friday and late Sunday night.