Re-building Mosques at Secretariat; SC declines to entertain plea

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking re-building of the religious places, situated within the Telangana State Secretariat Building, that were allegedly torn down while demolition of the Secretariat Building.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari & Justice Khanna observed that the prayer could not have been allowed under Article 136 as it was the Telangana High Court which had permitted the demolition of the secretariat building.

The former AIMIM corporator and congress leader from Hyderabad Khaja BIlal Ahmed has filed a SLP before the SC contended that the two Mosques which were located in the Secretariat complex, were demolished on July 8, this year and the demolished Mosques belong to Telangana State Wakf Board and the board being a party was not called up to give its view.

Khaja Bilal also told court that M Zakeer Hussain Javeed an member of Wakf Board had not approached the Telangana High Court with clean hands with for the simple reason, that being a petitioner in the petitition he did not mention that he was a member of the Wakf Board and its a deliberate ommission as he has made the State Wakf Board as respondent in an writ petition.

The former corporator claimed that the writ petition filed by ZH Javeeed with the intention to defeat the ends of Justice and for he ulterior motives.

He also contended that the place of worship cannot be changes at the whims and caprices, further the responsible citizen of the petitioner’s community can rebuild the Mosques with the permission of the Apex court.

After hearing the argument of Supreme Court’s senior counsel RK Singh, the larger bench has granted liberty to the petitioner Khaja Bilal Ahmed to approach the High Court for recall of the order of the Telangana High Court