'General Allegations': Delhi High Court Rejects PIL Seeking Removal Of All Illegal Religious Structures From Public Land

The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a public interest petition seeking directions for removal of all unauthorized religious structures and other encroachments from public land across the national capital. [2026 LiveLaw (Del) 684]

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia held that the prayers were “general and omnibus” and lacked specific pleadings.

The Court was dealing with a petition filed by one Syed Mohd Umar seeking directions to the authorities to remove all unauthorized religious structures situated on public parks, green belts, playgrounds, roads, footpaths, civic amenity sites and other public lands in the city.

Umar also sought removal of unauthorized religious encroachments as well as commercial and residential constructions on public land.

He also sought restoration of public parks and open spaces, preparation of zone-wise and ward-wise inventories of such encroachments, constitution of a Joint Special Task Force to prevent future encroachments, fixation of responsibility on erring officials and creation of an online complaint portal.

Dismissing the plea, the Bench observed that all the prayers in the writ petition were broad and omnibus in nature.

“In absence of any specific allegation regarding encroachment etc. or existence of illegal construction on particular identified sites as also the nature of construction and encroachment might become difficult for the Court to issue any such directions which have been sought by the Petitioner in the Writ Petition,” the Court said.

Accordingly, the Bench dismissed the petition, while granting liberty to Umar to file a fresh plea with specific details and appropriate pleadings.

Case: Syed Mohd Umar v. Government of NCT of Delhi & Ors.

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Del) 684

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