Maintain status quo on land where centuries-old mosque was bulldozed, Delhi High Court tells DDA

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi Development Authority to maintain status quo on the land where the centuries-old Akhondji mosque was demolished, Live Law reported.

On January 30, the mosque in the national capital’s Mehrauli neighbourhood was bulldozed along with the Behrul Uloom madrasa by the Delhi Development Authority.

The authority is a statutory body that reports to the Union government. It is responsible for planning and constructing urban projects in the national capital territory.

Following the demolition, the managing committee of the Delhi Waqf Board filed an urgent application before the High Court, contending that the mosque’s Imam Zakir Hussain and his family were left without a shelter as his home was also razed.

Hearing the case on Monday, Justice Sachin Datta ordered that the status quo should remain in force till February 12.

Datta, however, clarified that the status quo applies only to the particular parcel of land where the mosque stood and will not prohibit the Delhi Development Authority from carrying out its actions in adjoining areas.

Advocate Sham Khwaja, appearing for the managing committee, told the court that no demolition notice was given by the authority before it razed the structures, reported Bar and Bench. He also alleged that copies of the Quran were damaged, children enrolled in the madrasa were not...

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