MCD likely to demolish encroachments around ‘100-year-old’ Faiz Elahi mosque today
MCD likely to demolish encroachments around ‘100-year-old’ Faiz Elahi mosque today
M.U.H
07/01/2026130
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is likely to demolish structures surrounding a 0.195-acre land tract housing a dargah and the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque near Turkman Gate on Wednesday after the Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused any interim stay on the demolition.
However, the pre-Independence era mosque, which its managing committee claims to be “more than 100 years old”, is a Waqf property and will remain untouched.
The managing committee moved a petition before the HC after the MCD on January 1 made markings for the planned demolition, and had informed the committee that the demolition will take place on January 7.
The committee, in its petition, sought that an MCD order dated December 22 last year be set aside where the civic body had ruled that any structure beyond a 0.195 acre tract is an encroachment and misuse of public land. The committee, while submitting before the Delhi HC that it has no objection to removal of encroachments, is only seeking the court’s intervention to protect the graveyard adjoining the mosque, which according to it, is beyond the 0.195-acre limit.
In its December 22 order, the MCD had ruled that “by no stretch of imagination, masjid or dargah or graveyard can be used as marriage venue or clinic”, adding that this is a “blatant misuse of public land”. “In view of above any structure beyond 0.195 acre of land is an encroachment and deserves to be removed,” the civic body had ruled.
A joint survey report (JSR) was compiled by the government authorities, acting on a complaint by a Save India Foundation trust and following directions by the HC in November last year to authorities to take appropriate action to remove illegal encroachments in the area. The JSR had reported multiple encroachments in the area, including approximately 2,512 square feet of road and footpath maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD) that had been encroached upon, and another 36,248 square feet of an adjoining Ramleela ground where a ‘baraatghar’ and a private clinic were operating — purportedly encroaching on the said land. The masjid’s committee had, however, contended that there is no ‘baraat ghar’ as such and that a vacant portion of the premises was occasionally being used for marriage functions, and a charitable clinic is being run for needy people at marginal rates.
On Tuesday, the committee’s counsel, senior advocate Kirti Uppal, informed Justice Amit Bansal that the operations of the clinic have now been stopped. The committee further submitted that it has no difficulty if the said encroachments are removed, as also the removal of the ‘baraat ghar’ and the clinic.
ASG Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Land and Development Office (L&DO), on the other hand, submitted to the court that 0.195 acres (934 square yards) of land was given on lease in 1940 and stated that they are not proposing to take any action for the said area.
Observing that the matter requires consideration, Justice Bansal issued notice to the respondents, including the MCD, Delhi Development Authority, L&DO, PWD and the Delhi Waqf Board. The court will hear the matter next on April 22.
