New twist in Sanjauli mosque case as Muslim welfare committee questions validity of demolition affidavit
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TNR
A Shimla district court on Monday (November 11) heard arguments from both sides in the ongoing case regarding alleged illegal construction at the Sanjauli mosque, deferring the next hearing to November 14. The case saw fresh arguments from representatives of the All Himachal Muslim Welfare Committee and local residents.
Representing the Muslim Welfare Committee, advocate Nazakat Ali Hashmi challenged the affidavit submitted by Mohammad Latif, president of the Sanjauli mosque committee, arguing that Latif was not legally qualified to make such a declaration on behalf of the mosque. Hashmi contended that the affidavit should be considered invalid.
On behalf of the local residents, advocate Jagatpal Thakur asserted that the Waqf Board had ignored 11 notices concerning the unauthorised construction. He also stated that while the Sanjauli mosque committee had obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Waqf Board, it did not exempt them from addressing legal concerns raised by the residents. Thakur reminded the court that the case had also reached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which has directed a final decision on the matter by December 20, following a complaint first lodged in 2010.
In related developments, the Sanjauli mosque committee had previously submitted a formal request to the Shimla Municipal Corporation, seeking permission to demolish the unauthorised construction. This request was granted by the Municipal Commissioner, who stipulated that the removal be completed at the mosque committee’s expense within two months. However, Thakur subsequently filed a petition with the Himachal Pradesh High Court on behalf of Sanjauli residents, requesting a resolution to the decade-old complaint of illegal construction at the mosque.
The High Court, in response, instructed the municipal administration to finalise the settlement by December 20. Concurrently, the Muslim Welfare Committee filed an appeal in the Shimla district court, seeking a stay on the proceedings, though Justice Praveen Garg dismissed this request. Thakur further argued that Hashmi, representing the Paonta Sahib committee, lacked any direct connection to the Sanjauli case, raising questions about the petition’s validity.
The court has now adjourned further deliberations to November 14, where arguments will continue as the December deadline approaches.
