Delhi High Court allows opening of mosque at Nizamuddin Markaz for Ramzan, Eid

The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed the reopening of the mosque at Nizamuddin Markaz for the month of Ramzan [Delhi Waqf Board, Through its Chairman v. GNCTD and Ors]. .Justice Jasmeet Singh has said that devotees will be allowed into the building to offer prayers during the holy month and during Eid. The Court also directed the proprietors of the mosque to install CCTV cameras at the entries and exits as well as the staircases and to keep a record of the footage. .The order was passed in a plea by the Delhi Waqf Board demanding full opening of the mosque at Nizamuddin Markaz. The Court was told that since the latest order of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) removed all restrictions on religious places, people should be allowed to offer prayers at the Markaz mosque as well..The petitioners informed the Court on Friday that they had moved a representation before the local Station House Officer (SHO) seeking permission to open the mosque, and the same was allowed subject to some conditions. .Last month, the Court had allowed the opening of the mosque for a day for Shab-e-barat after the SHO granted permission for the same. The petitioners were asked to move a similar representation before the police for opening of mosque for Ramzan and Eid. .While the police had imposed several strict conditions for opening of the premises, they were modified by the High Court. .On Friday, counsel appearing for the Delhi Police told the Court that while most of the conditions were followed by the petitioners, they had failed to put up a board declaring that foreigners were not allowed and that CCTV cameras were not installed. .The Nizamuddin mosque was closed to the public in March 2020 when a group of Tablighi Jamaat members were found to be living there, allegedly in violation of COVID-19 norms.Following a Delhi High Court order, the authorities had last year allowed 50 people to offer namaz inside the mosque premises five times a day..Delhi High Court allows full reopening of Nizamuddin Markaz mosque for Shab-e-Barat day