Himachal Pradesh Court Orders Full Demolition of Sanjauli Mosque After Waqf Board Fails to Prove Ownership

The Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner’s Court today ordered the complete demolition of the Sanjauli Mosque, declaring the structure “illegal” after the Waqf Board failed to produce valid ownership documents, Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind reported. The verdict mandates the removal of all remaining floors, including two lower levels spared in an earlier partial demolition initiated by the mosque administration.

The case, heard over an hour-long session, centered on the Waqf Board’s inability to submit land records or construction blueprints to substantiate claims that a mosque existed on the site before 1947. While the Board’s lawyer argued the present structure replaced a pre-Independence mosque, the court questioned why no municipal approvals were sought for the reconstruction. Local resident advocate Jagat Pal highlighted this lapse, prompting Municipal Commissioner Bhopendra Attri to assert that the mosque violated building regulations.

This marks the latest escalation in a protracted legal battle over the mosque’s status. Authorities had previously ordered the upper floors demolished, a process already underway by the mosque management. The ruling intensifies scrutiny on religious land disputes in Himachal Pradesh, with legal experts noting potential implications for similar cases involving undocumented religious structures.

The Waqf Board has not yet indicated whether it will appeal. Meanwhile, community leaders express concern over the precedent set by the verdict, which leaves no room for regularization of the decades-old place of worship.