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In a major development, the Additional District and Sessions Judge-II, Shimla, Yajuvender Singh, on Thursday upheld the May 3, 2025, order of the Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner declaring the five-storey Sanjauli mosque building as unauthorised and directing its demolition.
The court dismissed the appeal filed by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, affirming that the entire structure, from the ground floor to the top, was built without proper authorisation. Advocate Jagat Pal, counsel for the petitioner, told ANI that the judgment reaffirmed the earlier orders passed over the past year. "The appeal filed by the Waqf Board and the mosque committee against the May 3 order of the Municipal Commissioner has been dismissed. This means the entire structure, from the ground to the top floor, is unauthorised and will be demolished," he said. "Over the last 14 years, this matter saw no progress, but in the last 13 months, four consecutive court orders have upheld the same finding that the structure is illegal," Jagat Pal added. According to him, the first order came on October 5, 2024, directing the dismantling of the upper floors; the second on November 30, 2024, when the appeal against that order was rejected by the court of Additional District Judge Praveen Garg; the third on May 3, 2025, when the Municipal Commissioner declared the entire mosque unauthorized; and now, the fourth confirming order has been delivered by Judge Yajuvender Singh. "All four orders are consistent. The court has once again made it clear that no one is above the law, and everyone is equal before it. We urge the Municipal Commissioner to begin demolition without delay," Jagat Pal said. He added that the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti will soon meet the Commissioner to submit a written reminder demanding time-bound demolition and will also approach the High Court to prevent any future stay if the Waqf Board or the mosque committee attempts to appeal again. Vijay Sharma, a member of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, welcomed the court's decision and said it was a victory of the "Sanatan society's struggle." "We welcome and appreciate today's judgment of the Hon'ble Court. This verdict is the result of the struggle of the Hindu and Sanatan community. For 14 years, this matter was pending at various levels, but it was only after the awakening of the Sanatan society in September 2024 that pressure mounted," he told ANI. Sharma alleged that illegal activities were being carried out under the guise of the mosque and credited the protests led by the Sanatan society for bringing the issue to light. "Many of our activists faced police action, water cannons, and FIRs during the protests. But truth has prevailed. We demand that the Municipal Commissioner immediately act on the court order and demolish the illegal structure," he said. "The Sangharsh Samiti will not stop its movement until the structure is removed. We also expect that false appeals will not be filed again and the concerned parties should themselves take steps to remove the illegal construction," Sharma added. (ANI)
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