By Maktoob
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday told the Calcutta High Court that the land on which the 136-year-old Bankra mosque stands inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport compound in Kolkata was acquired by the Central Government decades ago, and that the mosque committee therefore has no legal claim over the property.
The submissions were made during the hearing of a petition filed by the Bankra Masjid Committee seeking interim relief to allow devotees to offer prayers, particularly Friday prayers, at the mosque, PTI reported.
Access to the mosque and public entry have remained suspended since July following security concerns raised by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
Appearing for the AAI, Senior Advocate S N Mukherjee told the court that the land had been acquired by the government for the expansion of the airport runway, with compensation paid to the affected residents.
“This land has been acquired long ago; there is a notification dated February 7, 1961,” Mukherjee submitted.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
