India, May 3 -- The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday extended the status quo order on a Jain temple in Vile Parle East, restraining the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from taking any further action against the religious structure. A status quo order is a legal directive that maintains the existing state of affairs, preventing either party from making changes until the court hears the matter in detail.

The temple, built in 1962 and managed by the Shree 1008 Digambar Jain Mandir Trust, has been at the centre of a controversy after the BMC declared it illegal and partially demolished it on April 15. The civic body claims the 2,200 sq ft structure stands on land earmarked as a recreational ground in the city's development plan....