The Allahabad High Court on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by the Sambhal mosque committee seeking a stay on the demolition of a mosque built on pond and government land in Sambhal district.
The matter was heard in a special session before Justice Dinesh Pathak, who declined to grant any interim relief. The court advised the petitioners to file an appeal in the trial court for any recourse against the demolition.
This was the second consecutive day the case was taken up during a holiday as part of a special hearing. The court had requested land-related documents on Friday, which the petitioners submitted on Saturday.
Petitioners’ counsel Arvind Kumar Tripathi claimed that the administration had initiated demolition without formally issuing an order. The petition sought protection for the mosque, a marriage hall, and a hospital, arguing that their demolition posed risks of accidents or communal tension, particularly as the drive coincided with Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra.
Authorities maintain that the marriage hall was built on pond land and a portion of the mosque stands on government land. The mosque committee stated that it had already manually demolished the illegal portion using hammers.
Parties to the petition include the state government, Sambhal District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Additional District Magistrate, Tehsildar, and the Gram Sabha. Advocates Arvind Kumar Tripathi and Shashank Shri Tripathi represented the petitioners, while Chief Standing Counsel JN Maurya and Standing Counsel Ashish Mohan Srivastava appeared for the state.