Waqf Board told to submit latest status report on Sanjauli shrine

The Municipal Commissioner’s court today directed the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the junior engineer concerned to submit the latest status report regarding the alleged illegal construction of a religious shrine by a minority community in the Sanjauli area of Shimla city.

The next hearing in the case was fixed for October 5. On the direction of the court, the Waqf Board submitted a report on the “illegal construction”. Local residents had also pleaded in the case, citing problems they were facing in their day-to-day life due to the presence of the religious shrine, which would aggravate on its completion.

HP Waqf Board State Officer Kutubuddin Ahmed, while talking to mediapersons after the hearing, said that the dispute was not about ownership but about further development of the shrine. He added that in 2023, the Waqf Board had received a notice from the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, asking it to submit a reply. “The board had submitted its reply during the last hearing in the case after which another summon was issued and we submitted our reply on Saturday,” he added.

He said that prayers would continue at the shrine. However, they were directed to refrain from any confrontation with local residents. Bhup Singh, lawyer for the Waqf Board, said that they had appealed to the court that the structure should not be demolished and its map be approved.

Meanwhile, Jagat Pal, advocate for local residents, said that the case was filed against a wrong party and it was now after 13 and a half years that the Waqf Board had come into the picture by claiming the ownership of the site though it was unable to present the proof of ownership in the court.

“As per the records of the Revenue Department, the Himachal Pradesh Government is the owner of the land and the construction at the site is unauthorised,” he added.

The issue flared up after youth belonging to a minority community allegedly thrashed a local. The incident enraged local residents, who demanded the demolition of the religious structure at Sanjauli. On September 5, protests and processions were held at Chaura Maidan near the Vidhan Sabha and Sanjauli and the protesters gave an ultimatum to the government to take a decision regarding the demolition of the structure within two days.

The issue made national headlines as Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, during the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly, expressed concern over the increase in the number of unidentified migrants in the state, whose verification must be made mandatory.