Court Stays Demolition Order of Controversial Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla

Shimla, 26 May: The Sessions Court has issued an interim stay on the Shimla Municipal Commissioner’s order to demolish the controversial Sanjauli mosque. The Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board had challenged the demolition order dated 3 May in the Municipal Commissioner’s Court. The petition was heard on Monday at the District Court, Chakkar, where Additional District Judge Yajuvendra Singh accepted the Waqf Board’s appeal and stayed the order.

The matter will now be heard again on 29 May, and the Shimla Municipal Corporation has been directed to submit a reply. Interestingly, the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti has withdrawn its caveat petition from the court.

The dispute surrounding the Sanjauli mosque has been ongoing for nearly 16 years, with over 50 hearings held in the Municipal Commissioner’s Court. On 3 May 2025, the court declared the mosque illegal and ordered the demolition of the lower two floors. The upper three floors had already been ordered to be demolished in October 2023. Despite repeated opportunities, the Waqf Board failed to provide ownership documents or building plans to support its claim.

The controversy gained momentum after a communal clash on 31 August 2024, following which protests erupted across Shimla and other districts. Amid rising tensions, the Sanjauli Mosque Committee had offered to demolish the illegal portion voluntarily in September 2024.