600-year-old Mehrauli mosque demolished without prior notice

A 600-year-old mosque located in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi was demolished in the early hours of Tuesday, 30 January by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Siasat Daily reported.

According to the Siasat Daily, the mosque, known as Jinnat Wali Masjid or Dargah Akhundji, was torn down between 5:30 am to 6:00 am, effectively preventing worshippers from attending the pre-dawn (Fajr) prayers. The action was carried out amid heavy police presence,

When the mosque's imam, Zakir Hussain, arrived at the site, DDA officials denied entry, the report claimed.

His phone was forcibly taken to prevent communication during the demolition. Hussain claimed that the entire process was completed before the call to prayer for Fajr, and debris was swiftly cleared to conceal the demolition from public view.

Zakir Hussain further alleged that a nearby madrasa, along with the belongings of 22 enrolled students, was also demolished by DDA officials. Fortunately, the students were not present at the time.

The following day, the Muslim community strongly condemned the act, citing it as a blatant violation of the law by the Delhi Development Authority.

Members of the community argued that the Delhi High Court had previously issued a demarcation order for the religious site, which the DDA disregarded in taking unilateral action to demolish the mosque.

As news spread, Muslim residents revealed a 2012 Delhi High Court order on the demarcation of the religious site, emphasising that there was no knowledge of any demolition order for the mosque.

When questioned about the unauthorised demolition, DDA officials allegedly responded with, "we have orders from the top," leaving the community outraged at the violation of the court's directive.