SHIMLA: The Municipal Court of Shimla has issued its final verdict on the long-disputed mosque located in the Sanjauli area of Himachal Pradesh’s capital. Declaring the entire structure illegal, the court has ordered its complete demolition.
The court, headed by Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupinder Atri, delivered the decision after a detailed hearing. The ruling came in the wake of the Waqf Board’s failure to provide substantial documentation proving ownership of the land on which the mosque stands. Additionally, no sanctioned construction maps or municipal approvals related to the building were submitted.
Earlier, on October 5, 2024, the court had ordered the demolition of the mosque’s top three floors. However, the mosque committee failed to act within the stipulated time frame of two months. Even after being granted two additional extensions, the committee did not complete the demolition, leaving parts of the structure — including a floor and several pillars — still intact.
During the recent hearing, the court took a firm stance and declared the remaining two floors — including the ground and first floors — as illegal. The Waqf Board’s lawyer argued that the mosque had existed before 1947 and that the current building was merely a reconstruction. However, the court questioned why proper municipal permissions were not obtained if it was indeed a renovation of a pre-existing structure.
After a 45-minute-long argument, the court reserved its decision and finally delivered the verdict post 1 PM. Commissioner Bhupinder Atri ruled that the entire mosque structure was illegal and must be razed.
The Sanjauli mosque case gained public attention following a clash between two communities on August 29, 2024, in the Malyana area of Shimla, which left one person injured. The situation escalated on September 1 when tensions flared outside the Sanjauli mosque, with allegations of illegal construction surfacing.
On September 11, 2024, Hindu organisations staged a protest against the mosque’s construction. In this protest, several protesters and police personnel were injured in the incident, leading the municipal court to take the matter seriously and initiate a thorough investigation.
The court noted that in the 15-year-long battle, the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board failed to establish its ownership of the disputed land. No valid documents or tax-related NOCs were submitted, and even the previous structure on the land had been demolished without approval. The court ruled that the new construction was carried out illegally, in direct violation of municipal laws and regulations.
This ruling brings an end to the 15-year-old dispute. Local advocate Jagat Pal, representing the petitioners, stated that the final decision was made as per directions from the High Court, which had instructed the Municipal Commissioner to resolve the matter within six weeks.
It is now expected that the Shimla Municipal Corporation will initiate bulldozer action soon to demolish the entire mosque structure, as per the court’s directive.
