Dargah Demolition Row: SC Notice To Uttarakhand Authorities On Contempt Plea
Dargah Demolition Row: SC Notice To Uttarakhand Authorities On Contempt Plea
M.U.H
14/05/202526
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the authorities of Uttarakhand regarding a plea seeking to initiate contempt action in connection with the demolition of a registered waqf property.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih heard the contempt plea. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, contended that in 1982, the religious place was registered as a waqf property. Sibal stressed that the place was demolished despite the statement made by the Centre before the apex court.
After hearing submissions, the bench decided to issue notice to the Uttarakhand authorities for their response on the plea and scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 15.
“We will keep it along with those matters (relating to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025)”, said Justice Gavai. The apex court is scheduled to hear a batch of pleas on May 15, challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The contempt plea has been filed through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi. The plea contended that Dargah Hazrat Kamal Shah was registered as a waqf property with the Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, Lucknow, in 1982, and it was a revered site of religious importance for over 150 years. The plea alleged that a dargah in Dehradun was demolished in the intervening night of April 25-26 without any notice, despite the assurance given before the apex court by the Centre on April 17 in the matter concerning the challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The plea said in teeth of the above undertaking as recorded in the order dated April 17, the respondents/alleged contemnors have demolished the dargah in question in the dark of the night without even granting an opportunity of hearing or any notice. The plea also referred to the apex court's November 13, 2024, verdict, which laid down pan-India guidelines and barred demolition of properties without a prior show cause notice and 15 days to the aggrieved party to respond.
