New Delhi: A longstanding controversy has surrounded a mosque situated in the Sanjauli area of Shimla. On Saturday (May 3), a hearing took place in the Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner Court, during which the Municipal Corporation Commissioner deemed the mosque entirely illegal and ordered its complete demolition.
As per a Hindustan Times report, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhupendra Kumar Atri stated that the mosque was built in violation of regulations, lacking necessary approvals such as a building permit, a no objection certificate (NOC), and an approved map.
In this matter, Corporation Commissioner Atri has ordered the demolition of the lower two floors, in addition to the three floors that were pulled down in October last year.
This order to demolish the mosque concludes a case that has been presented more than 50 times in the court of the Municipal Corporation Commissioner during the last 15 years.
During the proceedings, the Waqf Board could not produce any ownership documents for the mosque land. The mosque committee also failed to provide an approved map of the structure or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for its construction.
The Waqf Board has asserted its claim to the land for over a decade.
In this regard, advocate Jagat Pal, representing the local residents of Sanjauli, said, ‘The MC Commissioner has ordered the demolition of the mosque, as neither the mosque committee nor the Waqf Board provided records pertaining to the land ownership on which the mosque is built.’
Following the court’s directive, the entire mosque located in the residential area of Sanjauli is to be demolished, with the costs incurred being the responsibility of the Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee.
Violent protests had taken place last year
After a protest last year, a ruling was issued to dismantle three floors of the mosque that were classified as illegal.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
