Delhi High Court refuses to allow Ramzan prayers at the site of ancient mosque demolished by DDA

The Delhi High Court recently rejected a plea seeking prayers rights during the month of Ramzan at the now demolished 600-year-old Akhoondji/ Akhunji mosque in Delhi’s Mehrauli [Muntazmia Committee Madarsa Behrul Ulum and Kabristan v DDA and Others]..Justice Sachin Datta rejected the plea on March 11 after noting that a similar plea for entry to the site during Shab e-barat had already been declined.“The reasoning given in the aforesaid order dated 23.02.2024 squarely applies in the context of the present application as well. In the circumstances, there is no justification for this Court to take a different view. As such, this Court is not inclined to grant the relief/s sought in the present application and the same is consequently dismissed,” the Court said.The application for prayer rights was moved by the Muntazmia Committee Madarsa Behrul Ulum and Kabristan..On February 23, the High Court had rejected the plea filed by Managing Committee of Delhi Waqf Board seeking directions that the locals be allowed to celebrate Shab e-barat on the land where the Akhoondji/ Akhunji mosque, graveyard and madrassa once stood.The Akhunji mosque and the Behrul Uloom madrasa in Mehrauli were demolished early morning on January 30 by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).Locals claimed that the mosque was built nearly 600-700 years ago during the Delhi sultanate period.On February 5, the High Court had ordered status quo on the land where the mosque stood after the Managing Committee of the Delhi Waqf Board moved the Court..Advocate Shams Khwaja appeared for the petitioner-organisation.The DDA was represented through its Standing Counsel Shobhan Takiar as well as advocates Sanjay Katyal, Nihal Singh and Kuljeet Singh.Additional Standing Counsel (ASC) Praschant Manchanda along with advocates Nancy Shah, Medha Haridass and Vishal represented the Delhi government.Advocates Ajjay Arora and Kapil Dutta represented the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)..[Read Order]