HC calls for removal of obstruction at dargah

The Bhandup police will remove obstructions allegedly created by Pakistani national Sayyed Wasimur-Rehman Shah at a dargah in Bhandup, the Bombay high court assured a team of petitioners on Friday.

The Bhandup police will remove obstructions allegedly created by Pakistani national Sayyed Wasimur-Rehman Shah at a dargah in Bhandup, the Bombay high court assured a team of petitioners on Friday.

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The high court was hearing a petition filed by six trustees of a city-based Wakf, Sufi Sayyed Mansurul Hasan Shah Mehfil-e-Hasani trust.

They had approached the court seeking directions to take action against Shah, grandson of freedom fighter Sayyed Mansurul Hasan Shah, alleging that he was using anti-social elements to grab the Wakf’s properties in India.

The division bench of justice AM Khanwilkar and justice AR Joshi was irked after counsel for the petitioners, Rajeev Patil pointed out that purported hirelings of the Pakistani national were not allowing followers to visit the dargah.

The judges said people were bound to visit the dargah since the trust is a public trust, and therefore the local police should remove the obstruction to avoid any untoward incident. However, the bench rejected Patil’s request for police protection at the dargah.

Additional public prosecutor Ajay Gadkari then assured the court that the police would remove obstructions, if any, created at the entry points of the dargah.

The petitioners alleged that the police had failed to take action against Shah despite previous complaints, and that he has started construction of an illegal multi-storeyed structure within the premises of the Bhandup dargah.