(Photo credit: ANI)
SHIMLA: The district court in Shimla on Thursday upheld the municipal commissioner court’s order to demolish the entire structure of the Sanjauli mosque, dismissing petitions filed by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, reported PTI.The Sanjauli Mosque Committee had challenged the May 3 order of the commissioner’s court, which directed the demolition of the remaining two floors of the five-storey mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli area. Authorities had already begun implementing an earlier order to demolish the top three floors of the structure.
On October 5, 2024, the commissioner’s court had first ordered the demolition of the top three floors, declaring them illegal. The mosque committee had itself offered to demolish those floors but contested the directive to remove the remaining two. On May 3 this year, the commissioner’s court reiterated that the two lower floors must also be razed, citing the Waqf Board’s failure to produce ownership records for the land.Additional District and Sessions Judge Yajuvinder Singh dismissed the petitions seeking a stay on the commissioner’s order. The court directed that the remaining two floors also be demolished, observing that the Waqf Board and the mosque committee were unable to provide valid documents to support their claims, according to Jagat Pal, an advocate representing locals. Following Thursday’s verdict, Muhammad Latif of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee said they would now move the high court against the decision and, if necessary, approach the Supreme Court.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the district court’s decision, saying it would pave the way for similar actions against “illegal” mosque constructions, as reported by news agency PTI.