Shimla: The entire five-storey building of the Sanjauli Mosque in Himachal Pradesh’s capital has been declared illegal, with the Municipal Corporation Commissioner Court on Saturday ordering the demolition of the entire structure. The court ruled that the lower two floors of the mosque — previously not under scrutiny — were also constructed without permission and lack supporting revenue records.
The mosque, located in the densely populated Sanjauli area of Shimla, had already seen demolition work begin on its upper three floors after they were declared illegal on October 5 last year. Now, with Saturday’s ruling, the entire building is set to be razed.
No Map, No Approval, No Ownership Record
The Commissioner’s final decision came after the Waqf Board failed to provide necessary documents to justify the legality of the lower two floors. The court had specifically asked the Board to produce the building’s approved map, construction permissions, and land ownership records, none of which were presented.
During the hearing, the Waqf Board’s advocate argued that the mosque had existed at the location since before 1947 and that the current structure was built in 2010 in place of the older one. However, when asked who granted permission for the new construction, no answer or evidence was provided.
The Resident Welfare Society also pointed out that no NOC was taken from the Municipal Corporation for property tax or waste disposal, and no sanctioned map was ever submitted.
Legal Action Not Religious Issue: Court
The Municipal Commissioner clarified that the court’s decision strictly pertains to unauthorised construction and not to any religious aspect of the mosque or land ownership, which remains a separate and disputed issue.
“The mosque’s existence is not under question, but the structure constructed in 2010 lacks any legal sanction. Multiple notices were issued after construction started, yet the work continued without any approvals. That makes it illegal,” the court said.
The Waqf Board has decided to challenge the Commissioner Court’s ruling. Officials stated that once they receive the detailed copy of the verdict, it will be presented to CEO Zafar Iqbal, and legal action will be taken in the competent court.
The case was being heard under a deadline set by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which had instructed that the matter be decided within six weeks — by May 8. The Commissioner delivered the final order accordingly on Saturday afternoon.
While the demolition of the upper floors is nearly complete, this new order means the remaining structure must also be brought down. The detailed written judgment will specify the timeline for the demolition of the lower floors.
