PRAYAGRAJ / SAHARANPUR:

In a significant legal development, the Allahabad High Court has stayed the recovery of ₹6.41 crore in damages imposed on the mosque committee following the recent demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex. The court has also sought a formal counter-affidavit from the Uttar Pradesh government and local administration.

A single bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal passed the interim order on September 11, responding to a petition filed by Mohammad Tanveer Ahmed, the Mutawalli (caretaker) of the mosque committee. The petition challenged both the demolition process and the massive financial penalty levied by the local authorities.

Background of the Dispute

The controversy stems from a structure located within the Saharanpur District Collectorate premises. The local administration had claimed that the mosque stood illegally on government land (Khasra No. 539) measuring around 315 square meters. According to officials, the site originally housed an old rest house which was later converted into a religious structure without proper authorization.

Conversely, the mosque committee contended that the structure was over a century old and constituted a legally protected Waqf property.

The legal battle escalated when the City Magistrate's Court on July 17 ordered the eviction of the structure and imposed damages amounting to ₹6.41 crore for alleged encroachment. An appeal filed by the committee against this order was subsequently dismissed by the District Judge’s court on September 2. Following the dismissal, the administration executed the demolition of the structure between the late hours of September 5 and early September 6 amidst heavy security arrangements.

High Court Proceedings

During the proceedings, the High Court chose not to immediately pass judgment on the structural demolition itself, but decisively intervened regarding the punitive financial recovery.

The bench issued notices to the respondents and directed the state administration to file its detailed response within three weeks.

The court has scheduled the next hearing in the case for October 12, when further arguments regarding the validity of the demolition and the compensation claims will be heard.