Dahod: The Gujarat High Court has ordered the authorities in Dahod town to maintain the current state of affairs regarding a plot of land where a century-old mosque was demolished on May 20.

Justice SV Pinto has issued notices to the state government and the Dahod municipality, requiring them to respond by June 8. The court has also ordered that the status quo be maintained on the properties allegedly owned by the petitioner, Nagina Masjid Trust.

The petitioner alleges that the mosque was unlawfully demolished in violation of the Gujarat Municipalities Act and Waqf Act. The petitioner claims that the mosque has been present in the city since 1926, and the trust rented out adjacent shops to raise funds.

Furthermore, the petition highlights that the authorities initiated the demolition of shops on May 15 as part of an anti-encroachment drive for the Dahod Smart City project, but proceeded to demolish trust-owned shops without prior notice. A meeting was held to address the issue, but the respondents refused to acknowledge the property documents. The authorities instructed the trust to remove religious items, including the Quran, from the mosque by May 19, after Friday prayers, before the entire structure was demolished.

The petition seeks the restoration of the mosque and other unlawfully demolished Waqf properties, along with compensation for the illegal trespass, demolition, and seizure of the petitioner’s properties. Additionally, the petitioner calls for criminal and disciplinary action against the authorities for the infringement of religious sentiments. DeshGujarat