Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board will file a fresh petition in the High Court challenging the district court’s order to demolish the controversial Sanjauli mosque. The case will now be heard by a single bench of the High Court.
On Monday, the division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by the Waqf Board against the demolition order that had declared the Sanjauli mosque illegal. The bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma disposed of the petition after the Waqf Board requested permission to withdraw it.
During the hearing, the Waqf Board urged the court to allow withdrawal of the writ petition and sought liberty to file an appropriate petition based on the same dispute that formed the grounds of the original plea. The division bench accepted this request and disposed of the matter, granting the petitioner the freedom to approach the court afresh.
Earlier on Friday, after a brief hearing on the matter, the court had asked the petitioner Waqf Board to present its arguments on the maintainability of the petition. The petitioner’s counsel had subsequently requested additional time for the same.
The court had also raised questions about making necessary parties to the case, for which the petitioner had sought time to take required steps.
The Shimla district court had delivered its verdict in the Sanjauli mosque case on October 30, ordering the demolition of the structure after declaring it illegal.
The Sanjauli mosque controversy has been one of the most debated issues in Himachal Pradesh in recent months, with the case drawing significant public attention.
