Allahabad High Court Halts Recovery of Rs 6.41 Crore in Mosque Demolition Case in Saharanpur

In a significant legal development, the Allahabad High Court has temporarily halted the recovery of Rs 6.41 crore in damages from the committee overseeing a mosque that was recently demolished at the Saharanpur Collectorate. This decision was made on Friday, as Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal has called for responses from both the Uttar Pradesh government and local authorities regarding a petition filed by Mohammad Tanveer Ahmad.

The demolition of the mosque occurred on September 5, following a court ruling that upheld a previous order declaring the structure illegal. Ahmad contended in his petition that he had previously submitted a formal statement to a magistrate disputing the eviction notice under the Public Premises Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants Act, 1971, asserting that the mosque had stood on the disputed land for more than a century.

Representing the petitioner, lawyer Ashish Kumar Singh argued that the government acted with undue haste in demolishing the mosque, noting that the structure was razed just three days after the eviction order was issued. Singh further highlighted that the original landowners, Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan, had designated the property as waqf, a concept in Islamic law that pertains to endowments for religious, educational, or charitable purposes.

On the other hand, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, representing the state, argued that official records indicated the land was under the ownership of the Collectorate. This contention raises questions about the legitimacy of the eviction and the subsequent demolition, especially in light of the historical significance attributed to the mosque by the local Muslim community.

The situation has sparked widespread discussions surrounding the treatment of religious structures in India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where communal tensions can often escalate. This case also reflects broader issues of property rights, historical claims, and the complexities of urban governance in a diverse nation. As the court continues to seek evidence and responses from the state, the outcome may have significant implications for similar cases across the country.

Source: scroll.in