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Shimla Mosque row: Demolition of three storeys of Sanjauli mosque begins
Shimla MC court on October 5 had ordered the demolition of the top three unauthorised floors of the mosque and gave a two-month deadline to the Mosque committee to execute its orders
In compliance with the order of the Shimla municipal commissioner (MC) court issued earlier this month, the demolition of three unauthorised floors of Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla started on Monday after getting a nod from the Waqf board.
Shimla MC court on October 5 had ordered the demolition of the top three unauthorised floors of the mosque and gave a two-month deadline to the Mosque committee to execute its orders. MC had ordered the mosque committee and the Waqf Board will bear the cost of the demolition of the unauthorised portion. The case will now come up for hearing on December 21.
“The Muslim traders are collecting funds to demolish the mosque,” said mosque committee president Mohammed Latif.
It may be mentioned that following a massive protest in Shimla on September 11, demanding the demolition of an unauthorised portion of the mosque, the mosque committee had given an undertaking to the MC commissioner offering to demolish the unauthorised portion of the mosque themselves.
On September 11, at least 10 persons, including six police personnel and four protestors, were injured after the police resorted to baton charges and used water cannons after the agitators broke the barricades and reached the vicinity of the mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli. Afterwards, the protests were held in other parts of the state as well.
HC asks Shimla municipal commissioner to decide case within 8 weeks
The Himachal Pradesh high court on Monday directed the Shimla municipal corporation to decide within eight weeks about the 14-year-old case concerning the alleged illegal construction of Sanjauli mosque in Shimla
The bench of justice Sandeep Sharma has directed the MC to act upon an application that was first filed in 2010. The court has also instructed that notices be served to all stakeholders involved in the case. The detailed order is awaited.
These directions were issued on a petition filed before the high court on October 19 by a local resident of Sanjauli, who argued that the municipal authorities had failed to issue a decision on the main case despite it being pending for nearly 14 years.
Advocate Parul, one of the lawyers representing the residents, said, “High court has ordered the commissioner of municipal corporation Shimla to settle the case within 8 weeks.”
This mosque was built before 1947, at that time it was a two-storey building. After this, 3 more illegal floors were built in it. A case was going on against it in the municipal commissioner’s court for 14 years. In 2010, residents of Sanjauli had moved a complaint regarding illegal construction.
Himachal has set an example of ‘bhaichaara’, says CM Sukhu
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Himachal has set an example of ‘bhaichara’ as the mosque community itself offered to demolish the illegal structure.
This mosque was built before 1947, at that time it was a two-storey building.
After this, 3 more illegal floors were built in it. A case was going on against it in the municipal commissioner’s court for 14 years.
In 2010, residents of Sanjauli had moved a complaint regarding illegal construction.
