A plea submitted to the Supreme Court against the demolition of a mosque in Delhi. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and R. Mahadevan, accepted the plea. Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde mentioned the case, prompting the court to schedule the hearing for August 1.
New Delhi: An appeal submitted to the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court‘s decision not to stay the demolition of the Muhammadi Jama Masjid and Madarsa located in Mangolpuri’s Y Block, New Delhi.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and R Mahadevan issued a notice regarding the appeal and scheduled a hearing for August 1 after the matter was brought to attention by Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde.
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Hegde initially informed a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud about the scheduled demolition set for today. The CJI then directed Hegde to present the case before the bench led by Justice Khanna.
Justice Khanna noted that the petitioners had not yet submitted the necessary documents but clarified that this would not obstruct the demolition order. Nevertheless, the court decided to delay the demolition process until August 1.
The appeal arises from a Delhi High Court ruling that declined to stay the demolition of the mosque, which had been designated as an encroachment.
According to the appellants in the Supreme Court, the mosque is not an encroachment, as claimed in a writ petition filed by the Save India Foundation before the High Court. They argue that the land was allocated to the mosque in 1979 and have requested additional time to provide the relevant documentation.
The case also touches on other similar disputes, such as the proposed demolition of the Sunehri Bagh mosque due to alleged traffic congestion, which was contested by the Delhi Waqf Board and others.
These cases reflect broader concerns about the preservation of historical and religious structures amidst urban development and infrastructure projects in Delhi.