Shimla municipal commissioner orders demolition of Sanjauli mosque’s other two floors
On October 5, 2024, the Shimla municipal commissioner’s court ordered the demolition of three floors of the Sanjauli mosque holding that they were constructed without required permissions.
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Sources said the court did not comment on the ownership of the land. The court of the Shimla Municipal Corporation’s commissioner ordered the demolition of two more floors of the Sanjauli mosque on Saturday while disposing of a petition filed by locals who claimed the construction was illegal. It had already issued similar orders for the mosque’s three floors.
A hearing took place in Commissioner Bhupender Attri’s court, which is considering cases related to illegal constructions in the district. The court has not yet set a timeline for the demolition.
Advocate Jagatpal, representing the locals, said, “The court made it clear that the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee failed to produce the required documents, including permissions for the mosque’s construction. There is also a related matter pending before the Shimla High Court, scheduled for hearing on May 8. Earlier, on October 5, 2024, the commissioner’s court ordered the demolition of three floors of the Sanjauli mosque.”
Sources said the court did not comment on the ownership of the land. “The court has ruled on the nature of the construction, which was found to be in violation of established laws and building bylaws. A detailed order is expected soon,” a source said.
Advocate B S Thakur, representing the waqf board, also said a detailed order was awaited. “The MC commissioner’s court pronounced the order after hearing around one hour of arguments. Although the detailed order is yet to be issued, the court held that the construction at the mosque site was illegal. The Sanjauli Mosque Committee had demolished the original mosque and erected a new structure without obtaining the required permissions from the relevant authorities, including the Municipal Corporation and the Estate Office. The court has not made any comments regarding the ownership of the land, which belongs to the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board. We are waiting for the detailed order to decide the next course of action,” he told The Indian Express.
Mohammed Latif, president of the Sanjauli mosque committee, was not present during the hearing and was unavailable for comment.
The case had been pending in the municipal corporation commissioner’s court since 2010 but gained momentum after violent protests broke out on September 11, 2024, demanding the demolition of the Sanjauli mosque. This was followed by 21 more protests across Himachal Pradesh, demanding the demolition of allegedly illegal mosques, up until December 31, 2024. A dozen FIRs were registered and 97 people arrested for participating in the protests, with approximately 2,360 police personnel deployed across the state to maintain law and order.
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