By Team Clarion
NEW DELHI/UJJAIN — The Supreme Court has upheld the demolition of the 200-year-old Takiya Masjid in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, dismissing a petition filed by 13 local residents who had been offering prayers at the mosque. The court’s decision on Friday has deeply disappointed members of the local Muslim community, who allege that the mosque was demolished to expand the parking lot of the Mahakal Temple.
The petitioners argued that the mosque, which was registered with the Waqf Board in 1985, had been in continuous use as a religious site and was part of the community’s spiritual heritage. The demolition, carried out by the Ujjain administration in January 2025, followed prior notices that controversially declared the mosque illegal even before its removal.
“The demolition of a 200-year-old mosque to expand a parking lot is unacceptable. Our right to worship in our own mosque cannot be dismissed lightly,” said senior lawyer M R Shamshad, representing the Muslim residents.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta held that the acquisition process was completed in accordance with law and compensation was duly paid to the affected parties. Consequently, the court found no reason to interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision upholding the demolition.
“The high court decision was based on facts and legal procedures. Compensation has been awarded, and the acquisition process was in compliance with law,” the Supreme Court stated.
When challenged on claims that compensation was given to the wrong recipients, the court noted that separate legal remedies exist for such disputes, and previous petitions related to the matter had been withdrawn.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
