Supreme Court rejects appeal in Ujjain’s Takiya Mosque case:Clears way for construction on vacant land after demolition of Masjid and 257 houses

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking relief over the demolition of the Takiya Masjid in Ujjain, which had been razed by Madhya Pradesh authorities following land acquisition and compensation. Nearly ten months after the demolition drive, the apex court rejected the petition filed by worshippers seeking permission to reconstruct the mosque. The court upheld the earlier decisions of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had ruled in favor of the district administration. With the legal dispute now settled, construction work halted under the Mahakal Temple expansion project is likely to resume soon, marking a significant development in the long-contested matter. Demolition took place in January 2025 On January 11, 2025, the Ujjain district administration demolished 257 houses and the Takiya Mosque, which were located near the Shakti Path parking area adjacent to the Mahakal Temple complex. Officials stated that the structures were illegal encroachments on government land. However, the Muslim community claimed that the mosque was a 200-year-old Waqf property and that the demolition was unlawful. The dispute soon escalated into a prolonged legal battle. Petitioners lost in both the Single and double bench of High Court Thirteen regular worshippers at the mosque filed petitions in the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, first before a single bench and then before a double bench, arguing that the land belonged to the Waqf Board and that the demolition violated due process. Both benches, however, ruled against the petitioners and upheld the district administration’s decision, declaring the construction on the site as unauthorized. Supreme Court rejects appeal against land acquisition After losing in the High Court, the petitioners approached the Supreme Court, challenging the land acquisition process carried out for the Mahakal Temple corridor. They alleged that the state had wrongly acquired Waqf property, and that the demolition was carried out without proper legal procedure. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the appeal on Friday, effectively validating the district administration’s action and clearing the way for continued construction work at the site. Petitioners’ counsel confirms dismissal Advocate Syed Ashhar Ali Warsi, representing the petitioners, confirmed that the Supreme Court has dismissed their plea. “We have received information that our appeal before the Supreme Court has been rejected,” he said, adding that they are yet to receive the full text of the order. Work on Mahakal corridor to resume soon With the Supreme Court verdict now favoring the administration, construction activities that were halted near the Mahakal Temple premises are expected to resume. The decision marks the conclusion of a prolonged legal dispute over the status of the Takiya Mosque land, reaffirming the district administration’s authority over the redevelopment under the Mahakal Temple expansion project.