Shimla Court Orders Demolition Of 3 Floors Of Disputed Sanjauli Mosque

The court also ordered the Waqf Board and the committee to bear all the expenses of the demolition and scheduled the next hearing on December 21 regarding the two remaining floors.

People raise slogans during a protest called by Hindu organisations against the alleged illegal construction at a mosque, in Shimla district on September 14.

Source : PTI

A court in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday ordered the demolition of three floors of the disputed mosque in Shimla's Sanjauli area. The Shimla Municipal Commissioner's Court has directed the Waqf Board and the mosque committee to execute the demolition orders within two months time. 

The order has been given after a massive row erupted over the illegal mosque construction and subsequent protests by Hindu organisations in the Himachal capital. On September 11, 10 people were injured during a protest.

The Shimla court also ordered the Waqf Board and the committee to bear the expenses of the demolition. The next hearing has been scheduled on December 21 regarding the two remaining floors (ground and first floor), news agency PTI reported.

Various Hindu organisations have been protesting against the unauthorised construction and demanding demolition of the illegal storeys of the mosque in Sanjauli.

After protests broke out, the Muslim welfare committee had submitted a memorandum to the municipal corporation commissioner requesting him to seal the unauthorised portion of the mosque. They had also offered to demolish this unauthorised portion themselves.

Citing the committee's willingness to demolish the unauthorised portion, the court on Saturday ordered demolition of the disputed floors of the five-storey mosque.

Counsel for Waqf Board B S Thakur stated that the court has accepted the committee's representation but declined the plea of local citizens to become a third party in the case. "We do not have the detailed order yet," he added.

According to PTI, Advocate Jagat Pal, who was representing the locals, provided a detailed account of status of the disputed mosque. The site has been in dispute since 2010 when the municipal commission gave a notice for demolition of the construction of single storey of the mosque under construction. Pal claimed that the orders were not implemented then.

Later in 2018, it was found during a spot inspection by a junior engineer of the commission that five storeys were constructed despite the notice to demolish it.

Pal said the land belonged to the government and the Waqf Board had allowed the Muslims to construct the mosque. They were permitted to build it but not on government land or land owned by some other party. However, the Board claimed to have a record of the land where the mosque was built.

After commission's direction, president of the mosque committee, Muhammad Latif said: "We had already offered to demolish the unauthorised floors of the mosque on September 12 and we have no objection with the order. We are ready to demolish the unauthorised floors".