The Allahabad High Court on Friday stayed the recovery of ₹6.41 crore damages from the committee of a mosque demolished at the Saharanpur Collectorate complex, last week. The court has also sought responses from the Uttar Pradesh government and local administration over the demolition exercise.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal passed the stay order while hearing a petition filed by Mohammad Tanveer Ahmad who had challenged the eviction proceedings initiated against him under Section 5 of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.

According to the petitioner, he had objected to eviction proceedings and had filed a written statement to the authorities concerned that the mosque exists on the land in dispute and he is in possession of it for more than hundred years.

He claimed that despite this, the Saharanpur City Magistrate ordered his eviction on July 16, 2026, and imposed damages of ₹6.41 crore.

A subsequent appeal before the District Judge, Saharanpur, was dismissed on September 2, 2026.

The petitioner further submitted in the court that authorities moved quickly to demolish the mosque, tearing it down within three days of the eviction order. He also argued that the land’s original owners, who he identified as Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan, had dedicated it as waqf property for use by worshippers.

Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, who appeared on behalf of State, countered the petitioner’s claim stating that official records list the disputed property as belonging to the Collectorate. Terming it as “inconsistencies” in the petitioner’s case, he noted that while the written statement named Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan as the original landlords, it did not specify when the land was supposedly dedicated as waqf, nor was any waqf deed produced as evidence.

State further submitted that the named landlords themselves had never approached the courts to stake a claim to the property.

State also said that a post office operates over the land in dispute and eviction proceeding was initiated because the mosque was constructed after taking rooms on rent.

Stating that the matter “requires consideration,” the HC issued notice to the state and directed it to file its counter affidavit within three weeks.

“Till the next date of listing, the realisation of damages imposed by the City Magistrate, Saharanpur vide order dated 16.7.2026 shall remain stayed,” court said.

The matter will next be taken up on October 12, 2026.

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) expressed concern that targeting of mosques and structures linked to the Muslim community will intensify across the State in view of the upcoming Assembly election in a bid to polarise people.

The concern comes against the backdrop of the demolition of a century-old mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex on September 5 and authorities in Moradabad issuing notice recently to the management of the Mustafa Mosque, describing it as an “unauthorised construction”. The Moradabad Development Authority notice dated August 21, which came into focus on Tuesday, said the construction map of the mosque had not been approved.

“With the Uttar Pradesh election approaching in the next five months, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is likely to escalate this assault on such structures under the pretext of addressing encroachments. These actions are intended to polarise society along religious lines for electoral gain,” said Afzal Ansari, Lok Sabha MP from Ghazipur and a senior leader Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, calling upon the Supreme Court and High Court to take notice of this “motivated” demolition initiative.

The Congress accused the U.P. government of attempting to instil a sense of “everyday communalism” in the society through such notices. “Development authorities were constituted in Uttar Pradesh after the 1980s… these religious structures are over 100 years old, when no such regulations existed. Structures associated with other communities will also fail the yardstick of the new regulatory framework, but those linked with the Muslim community are being singled out,” said Shahnawaz Alam, Congress national secretary.

‘One-point programme’

Zia ur Rehman Barq, the SP MP from Sambhal, accused the Uttar Pradesh government of pursuing a “one-point programme” focused on mosques, madrasas and graveyards, and criticised officials over the demolition of the mosque in Saharanpur. He alleged that the government was not focusing on inflation, employment, education, health care or services for the poor, and was instead “harassing Muslims” in the belief that it would help it win elections.

Mr. Barq said the Saharanpur mosque was 119 years old and had documents relating to it. He also criticised notices being issued in Sambhal and Moradabad, calling such action “completely wrong”.

Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday (September 7, 2026) detained senior state Congress leaders including State Congress President Ajay Rai in Lucknow after they attempted to visit Saharanpur over the demolition of a historic mosque within the Saharanpur Collectorate complex.

The Congress described the police action as dictatorship, adding the administration is working on the directions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to silence the voices of opposition. Mr. Rai and other Congress leaders were released in the evening after hours of detention.

“Following the brutal action of bulldozing the historic mosque located in the Saharanpur Collectorate premises, I along with other party leaders were going to take stock of the situation there today, but we were forcibly detained by the police as soon as he left the Lucknow party office. This authoritarian action is clear evidence that the BJP government is deeply afraid of the Congress party’s democratic pushback. This repressive and undemocratic approach by the administration will not be able to suppress the Congress’s high spirits and strong resolve. It is struggle against injustice and dictatorship. Along with us, hundreds of other brave party leaders and workers also stood firm in this protest. The Congress Party will continue to vigorously oppose every excess committed by this government, which has murdered democracy and the Constitution,” told Mr. Rai, to The Hindu. 

A Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation consisting of some MPs and other party leaders submitted a petition to the authorities in Saharanpur addressed to the President of India seeking action on officers responsible for demolition. “Today, as per the instructions of respected National President Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, a memorandum was submitted to the Additional Commissioner regarding the demolition of a 119-year-old mosque in Saharanpur.

The judicial process must be followed in this entire matter, and action must be taken in accordance with the Constitution. I also appeal to maintain mutual brotherhood, harmony, and peace in society. There is an emergency-like situation in this government; the commissioner was not available even after giving time,” said Harendra Malik, a SP Lok Sabha MP.

In a related development, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team on Monday examined a well discovered during debris removal at the site of the demolished mosque on the premises of the Saharanpur collectorate, officials said. ASI officials reached the site in afternoon and examined the well in the presence of local administration officials, Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Subodh Kumar said.

“The ASI officials measured the depth of the well after placing a ladder inside and examined its interior. They also carried out photography and videography and collected samples of soil and brick remnants from inside the well as part of their investigation,” said the SDM, to local reporters.