4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 12, 2026 10:32 AM IST
The MCD, on January 6 – following a Delhi HC order directing for removal of illegal encroachments – had removed some structures adjoining the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque on Asaf Ali Road. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)
Hearing a plea seeking directions to curb the “misuse” of public interest litigations (PIL), Delhi High Court, while referring to the demolition of illegal structures around the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque near Turkman Gate, said on Wednesday that it is a “simple issue relating to encroachment removal, passions should not be heightened”.
A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was dealing with a petition filed by Mohd Kamran, a resident of Turkman Gate area. Kamran was seeking the court’s directions to frame or update guidelines on filing PILs in the HC to curb their alleged misuse by NGO Save India Foundation, which he claimed was “selectively targeting Muslim religious structures”, constituting discrimination on grounds of religion and abuse of law.
Kamran, through his counsel, submitted that the NGO, in the name of removal of encroachment, has targeted the graveyard beside the mosque, which has been used by the community for decades. He submitted that Save India Foundation’s petitions, by targeting specific religious structures, is “creating law and order situation”.
CJ Upadhyaya, addressing the petitioner, remarked orally, “No encroachments can be permitted around any religious structures, on government land, and land belonging to the public… If any action is intended, opportunity is to be given to the persons concerned… The difficulty is, the masjid committee has perhaps not taken appropriate steps for securing its own property, its own structure. The survey report has been in the public domain since long…”
Addressing Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, the HC remarked, “The difficulty is this. These are the areas which are infested with encroachments, since long, more than 100 years perhaps. The area is very densely populated… so far as such encroachments are concerned, say the baratghar or the clinic, they must be immediately removed…”
“But if there is a graveyard, that concerns the community… these structures that are standing, whether they are graveyards or not, that needs to be decided. Graveyard does not concern only the masjid committee, it concerns the entire community. So that’s the only concern… And we would also urge, it is a simple issue relating to encroachment removal, passions should not be heightened.”
Disposing the plea, the division bench noted that Delhi HC already has framed rules on filing PILs and in view of these rules, Kamran’s request need not be considered further. It, however, granted Kamran permission to request before the concerned court to join as a party in the already pending petition moved by the masjid committee.
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The MCD, on January 6 – following a Delhi HC order directing for removal of illegal encroachments – had removed some structures adjoining the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque on Asaf Ali Road. The HC order had come while it was hearing a PIL filed by Save India Foundation. The MCD action triggered violence; local residents allegedly threw stones, and police responded with mild tear gas. An FIR was registered and 20 people were arrested.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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