SC stays razing of part of Kinara masjid near Haji Ali Dargah

Some portions of the Kinara Masjid, built on the approach road to Haji Ali Dargah, will not be razed for a week till the Maharashtra government decides on a plea of its regularisation, the Supreme Court said yesterday

Some portions of the Kinara Masjid, built on the approach road to Haji Ali Dargah, will not be razed for a week till the Maharashtra government decides on a plea of its regularisation, the Supreme Court said yesterday.

The court, which had rejected a similar plea of the state government on July 3, modified the order on encroachment and ordered that a part of the mosque will be exempted from demolition.

"The counsel for parties acknowledges before this court that the order passed by the state government (on plea for regularisation) shall not be contested even if it amounts to part demolition of Kinara masjid," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said. Initially, the bench had upheld the order of the Bombay High Court on removal of encroachments from 908 square metre near the shrine.

Senior advocate Raju Ramchandran, appearing for Haji Ali Dargah Trust, asked for the time being the demolition be stayed and on the next date of hearing, he would establish that this part of the masjid was not on encroached land.

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