Sambhal's Rayan Buzurg Village Mosque Management Moves Allahabad High Court Against UP Govt's Demolition Notices

The management of Sambhal's Rayan Buzurg Mosque has approached the Allahabad High Court challenging demolition notices issued against it by the Uttar Pradesh government. A special bench of Justice Dinesh Pathak heard the matter today. The Court is currently sitting in vacation since September 29. The mosque management has challenged an order dated September 2, passed by the competent authority in proceedings under Section 67 of the U.P. Revenue Code, 2006.The administration recently served notice to the mosque claiming that it had come up on compost pit/pond land in the village. However, after representatives of the mosque management committee, the administration had granted a temporary moratorium to them for 4 days. The writ petition also questions all proceedings initiated against the mosque, including the notice dated June 26, 2025, an undated show-cause notice, the unserved order dated September 2, 2025 and the demolition notice dated September 30, 2025. 'The petitioners have argued that the notices are in 'gross violation” of the mandatory pan-India directions issued by the Supreme Court in its judgment dated November 13, 2024. They have further sought a direction restraining the authorities from demolishing or interfering with the mosque and its adjoining hospital at Village Rayan Buzurg, Sambhal, without following due process of law. Today, the Court questioned the petitioners' counsel regarding the availability of the impugned September 2 order. The counsel stated that the order had not been served upon them. However, the Court noted that the objection dated July 4, 2025 prima facie showed that the petitioners had participated in proceedings under Section 67 of the UP Revenue Code. At this stage, the Chief Standing Counsel produced a photostat copy of the impugned order, which was then served on the petitioners' counsel. After perusal, the petitioners' counsel sought and was granted 12 hours' time to place the order on record with an affidavit and file a fresh memo of appearance (Vakalatnama) signed by the petitioners. The matter will now be heard tomorrow, October 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM before the appropriate Bench.

Sambhal's Rayan Buzurg Village Mosque Management Moves Allahabad High Court Against UP Govt's Demolition Notices

Sparsh Upadhyay

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