Shimla dist court upholds order to demolish Sanjauli mosque

The Shimla district court has upheld the decision of the Shimla Municipal Commissioner’s Court ordering the demolition of the Sanjauli mosque, ruling that the entire structure is illegal. The order was passed by Additional District and Sessions Judge Yajuvinder Singh on Thursday.

The court dismissed the appeals filed by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, which had challenged the Commissioner’s Court’s earlier decision dated May 3, 2025. Both parties failed to produce valid ownership documents for the mosque, following which the court directed that the entire building be demolished.

The controversy dates back to 2010, when a case was first filed in the Commissioner’s Court regarding the legality of the mosque, a five-storey structure situated in Sanjauli. The issue came under sharp public scrutiny after a clash in the nearby Malyana locality triggered demands from local residents and Hindu organisations for the mosque’s demolition, alleging it had been constructed without authorisation.

In its earlier ruling on May 3, the Commissioner’s Court had declared the structure illegal and directed the Waqf Board and mosque committee to demolish it. Initially, only the top three floors were found to have violated building norms and were ordered to be removed. Subsequently, after further hearings, the court determined that the remaining two floors were also unauthorised and ordered their demolition.

Advocate Jagat Pal, representing local residents, confirmed that both appeals filed by the mosque authorities were dismissed during the hearing today.

Reacting to the verdict, Muhammad Latif, a member of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, said the decision would be challenged in the Himachal Pradesh High Court and, if necessary, taken to the Supreme Court.