NEW DELHI — Legal disputes over mosques, a graveyard and residential land have reached courts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with Muslim groups seeking protection for religious and community properties.
In Uttar Pradesh, a case involving the Sangmarmar Mosque near Prayagraj Junction has been taken to the Allahabad High Court. The mosque committee has challenged a notice issued by railway authorities seeking its removal.
According to the petition, the mosque is a registered waqf property, and the committee has argued that the demolition notice is legally untenable. It has sought urgent intervention from the court to halt any action.
Railway officials, however, have maintained that the structure stands on railway land and had set an April 27 deadline for its removal.
A separate case has emerged in Bihar, where a highway project has raised concerns among residents in Samastipur district. The matter has reached the Supreme Court of India, which has directed the Patna High Court to re-examine the issue.
The dispute relates to a road project by the National Highways Authority of India in Shahpur Baghoni village. Petitions claim the project affects three mosques, an old graveyard and around 300 residential plots.
Local residents, including Shehzad, Zafar Hasan, Masood Javed, Khalil-ur-Rahman and Khalil Ahmad Nabi, have challenged the move under the banner of the Waqf Welfare Forum.
They argue that the land is registered with the waqf board and that due legal procedures were not fully followed. Earlier, a waqf tribunal had stayed the action, but the order was later set aside by the Patna High Court, allowing land acquisition to proceed.
The petitioners then approached the Supreme Court, which has now asked the High Court to reconsider all aspects of the case. The apex court also observed that the petitioners may return to it if their arguments are not adequately addressed.
Reacting to the development, advocate Shahid Anwar said, “The court has recognised our position and given important relief. This strengthens our case and gives us hope for justice.”
Residents in the affected areas have expressed concern over the potential loss of both homes and religious spaces, with some fearing displacement if the project proceeds without changes.
Officials have maintained that development projects follow legal procedures, though the courts are now examining whether due process has been observed.
With hearings expected in the coming weeks, both cases could shape how disputes involving land, development and religious properties are handled in the future.
