NEW DELHI: The Shimla district court has ordered the dismantling of three unauthorised floors of Sanjauli mosque building, according to a lawyer representing Waqf Board in the case.
Advocate BS Thakur said: “The court has passed orders that the Masjid committee and Waqf Board should demolish the top three floors of the mosque at their own cost. The time limit of two months has been given for the demolition.In due course, it will be decided about the rest of the portion of the building. The next date of hearing is December 21. The mosque committee has given the undertaking to demolish the top three floors.”
The dispute centers around the mosque’s construction, which was initially a single-story structure but has reportedly been expanded to five stories without proper authorisation. The Waqf Board claims ownership of the land.
Local residents have contested the Waqf Board’s ownership, arguing that the land belongs to the state revenue department and asserting that the mosque’s expansion has caused various difficulties for them.
Tensions surrounding this issue led to protests by local Hindu groups calling for the mosque’s demolition, framing it as an illegal construction issue rather than a communal one.