Delhi HC Orders Status Report On Action Taken Unauthorized Religious Structures On Public Land
A bench, led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, issued this directive after considering the status report submitted by the religious committee in July 2024. The report stated that the recommendation for the removal of these structures was made following 51 meetings.
The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government’s religious committee to submit a report within six weeks regarding the measures taken to remove 249 unauthorized religious structures constructed on public land.
The case stemmed from a petition concerning the removal of unauthorized religious structures on public land, which the Supreme Court transferred to the respective high courts in 2018 to ensure the effective implementation of its orders.
The Supreme Court referred to several prior rulings that imposed a duty on state governments and high courts to prevent unauthorized constructions of religious structures—including temples, churches, mosques, or gurdwaras—on public streets or other public spaces.
The Supreme Court had declared that unauthorized construction of religious structures—whether temples or mosques—could not be permitted. The Supreme Court had mandated that state governments and Union Territories assess any existing unauthorized religious structures on a case-by-case basis and take prompt action. In January 2018, the matter was ultimately referred back to the high courts to monitor compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders.
The High Court, therefore, instructed the committee to compile information from various agencies on whose land the structures were located, including the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Delhi Cantonment Board, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), as well as the agencies responsible for their removal.
On July 23, 2024, the High Court directed land-owning agencies to submit reports on the actions taken in response to the recommendations of the religious committee regarding the removal of unauthorized religious structures.
During the hearing on Friday, the counsel representing the DDA informed the court that the agency, following the committee’s decision, had identified and demolished 127 unauthorized religious structures, some of which were located in Sanjay Van and Jahanpanah City Forest. The counsel further stated that 82 of these 127 structures had been identified by the forest department.
The court scheduled the next hearing for May 14, 2025.
[Inputs: Hindustan Times]