by MuslimMirror
By Muslim Mirror Staff
On Friday, the Supreme Court of India prohibited the Gujarat government from allocating a parcel of land in Gir Somnath district, where several Muslim religious sites and residences were allegedly demolished illegally last month. This decision came amidst a special leave petition filed by the Auliya-E-Deen Committee, challenging an earlier Gujarat High Court order that declined to maintain the status quo during the demolition drive.
The bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, decided not to issue any interim orders after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the land would remain under state control and not be given to any third party. The court stated, “In this light, we don’t find it necessary that any interim order be passed.”
The demolition incidents occurred on September 28, when district authorities destroyed nine mosques, shrines, and several homes in the Prabhas Patan area, reportedly under the pretext of clearing encroachments from government land. Following these actions, the Summast Patni Muslim Jamat filed a contempt petition, alleging that the demolitions were illegal.
During the hearing, Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Auliya-E-Deen Committee, argued that the land, dating back to 1903, was previously registered in the committee’s name and was protected under the 2013 Waqf Act, which governs Muslim charitable properties. Sibal accused the authorities of demolishing Muslim-owned structures while sparing Hindu temples on the same land, labeling the demolitions as “high-handed” and carried out without regard for the legal and historical status of the sites.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com. Read the full story here.
