Railway Issues Notice to Historic Mosque in Prayagraj, Sets April 27 Removal Deadline
Railway Issues Notice to Historic Mosque in Prayagraj, Sets April 27 Removal Deadline
M.U.H
22/04/202612
PRAYAGRA: A 76-year-old mosque known locally as the Sangmarmar Masjid has come under legal notice from the Indian Railways, triggering a dispute over land ownership and redevelopment work near the city station area.
Railway authorities have issued a notice to the mosque committee claiming that the structure is located on railway land and falls within the zone of ongoing station modification work. The notice directs the committee to remove the structure by April 27.
Officials have warned that if the mosque is not removed within the given timeframe, the railway administration will carry out the demolition itself and recover the cost from the management committee.
A railway official said, “The structure is obstructing redevelopment work at the station site and falls within railway land boundaries.”
The mosque committee has strongly rejected the allegations, calling the notice baseless. Committee secretary M A Parvez said, “The mosque is not built on railway land. We have already submitted our reply to the concerned authorities.”
He added that the structure is a registered Waqf property and holds historical significance. According to him, the mosque was officially recorded as Waqf property in 1950 and later restored in 1961 with support from the then Union Railway Minister Shahnawaz Khan.
The committee has also stated that it will challenge the railway notice in court. “We will take the legal route and present all documents before the judiciary,” Parvez said.
The railway, however, maintains that the area is part of a redevelopment plan aimed at upgrading infrastructure and improving passenger facilities at the station.
Officials say such removals are sometimes necessary for public infrastructure expansion projects and that due process has been followed in issuing notices.
The dispute has now turned into a legal and administrative conflict, with both sides presenting ownership claims over the land.
Local observers say the case highlights the recurring tension between heritage structures and urban development projects in rapidly expanding cities.
Further action will depend on legal proceedings, as the mosque committee prepares to approach the court while the railway awaits compliance with its notice.
