Himachal Pradesh court orders demolition of three storeys of a disputed mosque
Shimla: A court in Himachal Pradesh has ordered the Shimla Municipal Commissioner Court granted the Masjid committee and the Waqf Board to demolish three floors of a contested mosque in Shimla, media reports said.
The court has allowed two months to carry out the demolition of the Sanjauli mosque, according to an NDTV report.
The dispute began when some groups declared the mosque illegal, leading to protests by certain Hindu organizations.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 21.
The lawyer representing Sanjauli locals demanded the mosque's demolition.
He questioned how a five-story structure was completed by 2018 when the municipal commission had issued its first notice to the Mosque Committee back in 2011, the report said.
"No records were provided to the municipal commission despite repeated requests," the lawyer stated.
The lawyer further argued that the entire mosque was illegal and that unlawful activities were allegedly taking place there.
He also raised concerns about why electricity and water supply were not cut off.
"The Waqf Board owns 156 bighas of land in Sanjauli, excluding the land on which the illegal mosque is situated. Local residents of Sanjauli are also involved in this issue," he added.
However, the court declined to involve the locals as a party to the case, citing that the ongoing legal battle was between the administration and the violator.
The Commissioner clarified that the case concerned illegal construction, with the Waqf Board already a party, making the inclusion of a third party unnecessary.
Despite this, the lawyer continued, asserting that "even if we are not made a party, the mosque should be demolished."
The Sanjauli mosque issue resurfaced on September 11 when ten people were injured during a protest demanding the demolition of part of the mosque.
Two days later, similar protests broke out in Mandi, where authorities had to use water cannons to disperse the demonstrators.
The court has set the next hearing on December 21, giving two months for the demolition to be completed.
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