Encroachment at demolished site angers high court

The Delhi high court on Monday took serious note of continued encroachment of a land by namazis, reclaimed after demolishing an “illegal” mosque in Jangpura. Harish V Nair reports.

The Delhi high court on Monday took serious note of continued encroachment of a land by namazis, reclaimed after demolishing an “illegal” mosque in Jangpura.

HT Image

Justice Vipin Sanghi directed Noor Charitable Society, which had been managing the mosque, and Delhi Waqf Board to show proof by December 22 of removal of all the encroachments in form of photographs.

“Once again, Noor Charitable Society and the Delhi Waqf Board assure that the order dated January 17, 2011, shall be complied with in letter and spirit. It is undertaken by them to produce photographs to show that the temporary structure at the site is removed,” the judge said.

“It is also assured that only 10 people shall offer namaz at the site, five times a day and after offering their prayers, they shall leave the site so that there is no occupation of the site,” added justice Sanghi.

The court had on January 17, 2011, told the civic authorities and religious leaders that an Ayodhya-like situation cannot be allowed to happen in the Capital. The court also said that religious leaders allowing their followers to raise tempers were a “dangerous trend”.

Lawyer RK Saini, who was representing Jangpura RWA president Monu Chadha, the petitioner in the contempt of court case, alleged that huge crowd assembled at the mosque on a daily basis to offer prayers and the premises continued to be occupied by namazis 24 hours in violation of repeated court orders. The land had been earmarked for construction of a community hall.

Saini told the court that all sides had brought “disrepute” to the honour of the court by allowing "willful violation of the court orders".