Notice, reply & Masjid demolition in 3-4 days: High Court seeks Kutch Collector’s response

The Gujarat High Court has sought the Kutch Collector’s response to a petition challenging the swift sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Mohamadi Masjid in Kutch district on June 21. The petition, filed by the mosque's managing body, alleges that the authorities acted without providing a fair opportunity for the management to contest the encroachment proceedings.

The High Court directed the District Collector to file an affidavit by October 19 and listed the case for further consideration on October 22. The petition claims that the managing body was given only two days to respond to a show-cause notice issued by the Mamlatdar, Bhuj (Rural), on June 18 under Section 61 of the Gujarat Land Revenue Code.

The notice alleged that the mosque was encroaching on government land, and a reply was submitted on June 20. However, an encroachment order was already issued on June 19, declaring the mosque encroaching on government land, which led to its demolition on June 21. The petition seeks quashing of the Mamlatdar's order, a declaration that the demolition violated constitutional protections, and restoration of the mosque.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.