‘Only 10 namazis at Friday prayers’
The Delhi high court on Friday dismissed the plea of a charitable society seeking that more than 10 people be allowed to offer prayers on Friday at the site of the demolished mosque which was built illegally on an encroached land in Jangpura area in south Delhi.
The Noor Charitable Society, which had illegally built the mosque and had been managing it, had moved an application on Friday before the high court seeking its intervention in waiving the stipulation that only 10 devotees can offer namaz at the site.
Justice G.S. Sistani, after going through the plea of the trust, said to the Noor Charitable Society, “The land does not belong to you. I have ordered a status quo for a period of two months to facilitate the resolution of the issue. The prayer seeking waiver on the number of namazis cannot be allowed at this stage.”
The mosque, built on DDA land, was demolished by the DDA on January 12, leading to violence and vociferous protests in the area.
Lawyer Mohd. Sajid, appearing for the trust, said, “The committee is facing the problem that Friday is coming shortly and in Friday prayer, there will be more number of namazis from the neighbouring areas due to which it is praying that the condition of 10 persons may kindly be waived only for the Friday prayers.”
The court also rejected the plea of the trust that an “Imam” and two devotees be allowed to remain present at the site to guard the “religious and other materials of the mosque”.
“The police is already there to protect them. This cannot be allowed,” the court said.
Earlier, the court had asked DDA to construct a boundary wall on the plot and allowed 10 members of the community to offer “namaz” for two months.
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