Allahabad HC dismisses petition to stay Sambhal mosque demolition

The Allahabad High Court on Saturday dismissed an urgent petition filed by the Sambhal mosque committee seeking a stay on the demolition of a mosque, marriage hall, and hospital allegedly built on government land.

The single-judge bench of Justice Dinesh Pathak heard the plea moved by Masjid Sharif Gausul Wara Rawa Buzurg and its Mutawalli, Minjar. After arguments from both sides, the court disposed of the petition and directed the mosque committee to approach the competent lower court for a stay application.

The petitioners had challenged a September 2 order passed under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006. They argued that the marriage hall, already demolished on October 2 using four bulldozers, was built on pond land. They also claimed that carrying out demolition on Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra posed risks to law and order.

The administration had served a notice to the mosque, parts of which were allegedly built on government land, giving the committee a four-day deadline. Even before the deadline expired, members of the mosque committee reportedly began pulling down sections of the wall themselves.

On Dussehra, the Sambhal district administration launched a major demolition drive against illegal encroachments, bringing down the marriage hall in Rawa Buzurg village. The operation turned the area into a heavy security zone with nearly 200 police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel deployed. Drones were also used to monitor the exercise in real time.

During the last hearing on Friday, the High Court had asked the petitioners to submit land records. The state government, District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police Sambhal, ADM, Tehsildar, and Gram Sabha were named as parties in the petition.

Advocates Arvind Kumar Tripathi and Shashank Shri Tripathi represented the mosque committee, while Chief Standing Counsel J.N. Maurya and Standing Counsel Ashish Mohan Srivastava appeared for the government during the hearing.