Shimla Court Orders Complete Demolition of Sanjauli Mosque After Rejecting Waqf Board Appeal

Shimla's district court upheld the municipal commissioner court's decision on Thursday to demolish the entire structure of the Sanjauli mosque, dismissing appeals filed by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee.

Authorities were in the process of implementing a previous court order to demolish three floors of the mosque when the additional legal challenge emerged. The Sanjauli Mosque Committee had contested the May 3 order from the commissioner's court which mandated demolition of the remaining two floors of the five-storey structure located in Shimla's Sanjauli area.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Yajuvinder Singh rejected petitions seeking a stay on the demolition order. According to Jagat Pal, an advocate representing local residents, the court directed the demolition of the mosque's remaining two floors on grounds that the Waqf Board and mosque committee failed to provide valid documentation supporting their claims.

Muhammad Latif, representing the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, stated they intend to challenge this decision in the high court and, if necessary, will pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court.

The May 3 ruling from the commissioner's court had instructed the mosque committee and Waqf Board to demolish the remaining floors, citing the Waqf Board's inability to produce records establishing land ownership.

Earlier on October 5, 2024, the commissioner's court had ordered the demolition of the top three floors of the five-storey mosque after determining they were constructed illegally. Some demolition work has already been carried out on these upper floors.

While the mosque committee had voluntarily offered to remove the top three floors, they have disputed the demolition order for the structure's two lower floors.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has expressed support for the district court's decision, suggesting it could establish a precedent for addressing other cases involving allegedly illegal mosque constructions.