Daijiworld Media Network - Shimla

Shimla, Oct 30: A Shimla court on Thursday upheld the Municipal Commissioner's ruling to demolish the mosque in Sanjauli, located on the outskirts of Himachal Pradesh’s capital, confirming it as an illegal structure that had sparked widespread protests.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Yajuvinder Singh rejected appeals filed by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, directing that all floors of the mosque be demolished.

The controversy dates back to May 3, when the Municipal Commissioner’s Court declared the mosque illegal and ordered its demolition. Following that order, the Waqf Board and Mosque Committee challenged the decision in the Shimla district court, which has now dismissed their appeals. The Sanjauli Mosque Committee has indicated it plans to approach the High Court next.

Advocate Jagat Pal, representing the petitioners, told the media, “With the dismissal of both appeals, the entire mosque will now be demolished.”

Previously, the Municipal Commissioner had ordered the removal of two additional floors, while a similar order last year had mandated the demolition of three floors.

The Waqf Board argued that the mosque existed prior to 1947 and was rebuilt after being demolished. However, Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri questioned why the reconstruction lacked municipal permissions, including approved architectural plans, and noted that the Waqf Board failed to present revenue records for the property.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court had earlier instructed the Municipal Commissioner to resolve the matter by May 8, after which the Commissioner's Court passed its final order following hearings from both sides.

The mosque had also been at the center of communal tensions last September when some community members took shelter there. Local residents, led by Hindu organizations, had called for the removal of the unauthorised structure and tighter regulation of outsiders entering the state.