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Court orders complete demolition of Sanjauli mosque in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) – After a two-year-long dispute over the illegal floors of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of Shimla, the Municipal Court has now issued its final verdict. The Court of Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupinder Atri has declared the entire mosque illegal and ordered its complete demolition. Previously, on 5th October 2024, the Court had ordered the demolition of the top three floors of the mosque; however, the mosque committee did not comply. (The mosque committee should also be penalised for contempt of Court for ignoring demolition orders. – Editor)

The decision was made after the Waqf Board failed to present any concrete documents in Court to prove ownership of the land on which the mosque stands. Furthermore, no valid building plan or municipal approval was submitted regarding the mosque’s construction. During the hearing, the Waqf Board’s lawyers argued that the mosque existed before 1947 and was merely reconstructed. To this, the Court posed a question: if the mosque already existed, then why wasn’t municipal approval obtained for the new construction?

Incident that brought the case to light

This case came into the spotlight following a communal clash last year. On 29th August 2024, a conflict broke out between Hindus and Muslims in the Malyana area of Shimla, leaving one person injured. During this time, the issue of the Sanjauli mosque came under scrutiny. Following this, a tense situation developed outside the mosque, and the matter of illegal construction was raised.

On 11th September 2024, Hindu organisations held a protest against the mosque’s construction. Demonstrators broke through Police barricades and marched towards the mosque, prompting the Police to resort to baton charges. Several protesters and Police personnel were injured in the incident. Subsequently, the Municipal Court began an inquiry into the matter.

Editorial Perspective

Earlier, the Court had declared two floors of the mosque illegal and ordered their demolition; however, despite several months having passed, the floors were not demolished. Now the question is: will action finally be taken on the new order to demolish the entire mosque ?

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