The Municipal Corporation Court in Shimla on Saturday ordered the complete demolition of a five-storey mosque in the Sanjauli area, declaring the structure unauthorized.
The verdict comes after more than 15 years of legal proceedings and over 50 hearings before the Municipal Commissioner’s court.
Presiding over the case, Municipal Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri ruled that the mosque had been constructed in blatant violation of municipal building byelaws.
The court noted that no building permit, approved structural plan, or no-objection certificate (NOC) had been obtained from the Shimla Municipal Corporation. While an earlier order issued in October 2023 called for the demolition of the top three floors, the latest ruling extends the order to include the remaining two floors, mandating the razing of the entire structure.
Although the detailed written order is pending, the Commissioner announced the decision in open court, citing the failure of both the mosque committee and the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board to establish legal ownership of the land.
The petitioner had argued that the original mosque was demolished and that the land, being government-owned, had reverted to the state.
The court accepted this argument and rejected the Waqf Board’s claim of ownership.
In 2010, a local resident filed a complaint against the mosque’s construction. The case gained momentum after the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Municipal Corporation in October 2023 to deliver a final decision within eight weeks, following tensions in Shimla after an alleged communal clash in Mehli on August 31, 2023.
It is said that, following the incident, several individuals reportedly took shelter in the Sanjauli mosque, sparking protests.
Speaking to the media, the petitioner’s counsel stated that the mosque had been built illegally without the required permissions and that the respondents had failed to produce any valid documentation proving legal entitlement to the land.