Telangana government gets High Court notice on mosque demolition

Hyderabad: The High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the State government directing to file its counter affidavit to respond to the pleas seeking reconstruction of two demolished mosques at the same places where they stood earlier.

The Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy heard two public interest litigations urging the court to direct the State government to construct the two mosques which were demolished on the Secretariat premises.

One petitioner alleged that the two mosques were demolished intentionally. He further submitted that in an earlier writ petition, before the Single Judge Bench of the High Court, Advocate General gave an undertaking stating that a mosque will be built on the Secretariat premises, but there is no clarity as to whether the mosque will be constructed on the same place or not.

The petitioner counsel further informed the Court that the earlier mosques stood on a larger space viz. 647 square yards, whereas the Advocate General undertaking before the Court says that the mosque would be constructed on a 1500 sq. feet land. According to Section 51a of the Wakf Act, 1995 clearly says that the Wakf property cannot be transferred and accordingly, the mosque cannot be built at any other place, rather it has to be built on the same place, where it stood, as mandated, he added.

Chief Justice RS Chauhan directed the Advocate General BS Prasad to file a detailed counter affidavit, replying to all the contentions raised by the petitioner counsel and observed "as per the Wakf Act, suitable land should be allocated for the construction of the mosques which were demolished and the government should safeguard the interest of the petitioner adequately.

No Government can deviate from the procedure established by the law, as prescribed by Sec. 51 of Wakf Act, 1991. Even though the Chief Minister has made a statement in the media that a new Mosque will be built, it should be in accordance with the procedure laid down in Sec. 51 of the Wakf Act, 1991, the CJ said. The matter adjourned to October 8.

GHMC apprises court about illegal industries

The High Court Division heard public interest litigation filed by Vinay Palnitkar and another seeking to direct the State government to shift illegal godowns, workshops, warehouses in the residential locality of Shastripuram Colony, Rajendranagar Mandal, Hyderabad. GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar appeared before the High Court through video conference, informing that out of 345 factories, power connection to 152 factories had been disconnected. Moreover, GHMC Vigilance department inspected and discovered that four units were functioning even at night, those Four units had been seized by GHMC, Lokesh Kumar added.

The Chief Justice bench directed Lokesh Kumar to file an affidavit along with the supporting documentary evidence to the court in the next hearing. The Court adjourned the matter to October 8.