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HC urges Bukhari to `voluntarily' remove encroachments

Staff Reporter

Re-establishing the pristine glory of the historic Jama Masjid

NEW DELHI: Seeking the cooperation of the Shahi Imam Syed Abdullah Bukhari of the historic Jama Masjid here in re-establishing the pristine glory of the Mughal monument, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday urged him to remove his "illegal constructions'' along the walls of the mosque "voluntarily''.

Appreciating the submission of the accounts of the mosque by the Imam to the Delhi Waqf Board, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha Sharma urged him to remove his `illegal constructions'.

The Bench observed that all the institutions and individuals concerned with the upkeep of the mosque -- the Delhi Government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Waqf Board and the Imam -- should sit together and make a blueprint to maintain the glory of the religious shrine.

Earlier, counsel for the Board Najmi Waziri submitted that as directed by the High Court earlier, the Imam had submitted the accounts of the mosque to the Board.

Later, the Bench allowed an application of the Imam requesting his impleadment in the proceedings.

However, Mr. Waziri opposed the plea of the Naib Imam of the Masjid and son of the Shahi Imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, for his impleadment in the matter submitting that the Board did not recognise him as an official of the mosque.

Mr. Waziri also submitted a map of the British period to convince the Court that the Board had never allowed constructions in and around the mosque.

He further stated that all the agencies concerned with the maintenance of the mosque were planning to prepare a comprehensive plan to beatify its the surroundings and that very soon the draft plan would be submitted to the Court for approval.

The Bench directed the local body to remove all encroachments in and around the mosque and ensure that the encroachers who had been removed did not reoccupy the place and no fresh encroachments took place.

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