Ujjain mosque row settled, MP High Court disposes of Muslim side’s appeals

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday disposed of two appeals filed by the Muslim side over the removal of portions of Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid for a road-widening project after the petitioners informed the court that the dispute had been settled with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.

A Division Bench of Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Jai Kumar Pillai at the Indore Bench disposed of the separate writ appeals after taking note of the understanding between the petitioners and the civic body. The court said assurances given by the Municipal Corporation in its response and interim notice in the Shahi Masjid case would be binding on it.

Settlement before court

The appeals concerned portions of the mosque that fall within the alignment of a road-widening project being undertaken ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in 2028.

During Monday’s proceedings, the appellants informed the Bench that the issue between them and the Municipal Corporation had been resolved. The court subsequently disposed of the appeals in light of the understanding.

A lawyer representing the Municipal Corporation, however, avoided describing the arrangement as a “settlement” during the hearing and said the appellants had agreed on Sunday to themselves remove portions obstructing the proposed road construction. The process had begun on Monday morning.

Earlier order challenged

The Muslim side had approached the Division Bench against a September 9 order of a single judge of the High Court. The single Bench had dismissed two petitions challenging the Municipal Corporation’s notice for removal of portions of the mosque.

The earlier order had upheld the civic body’s action, finding that the road-widening exercise was being carried out in accordance with law and as part of preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.

Road widening project

The dispute centres on the widening of the road between Kanthal Crossing and Gopal Mandir. The approximately 900-metre stretch is being widened to 15 metres, requiring structures falling within the proposed alignment to be removed or modified.

The civic body has maintained that the exercise is part of wider infrastructure development in Ujjain ahead of the 2028 religious gathering. The Shahi Masjid is among the structures affected by the project.

Violence during demolition

The court development came hours after protests against the removal of a portion of the mosque turned violent in Ujjain. Police said protesters pelted stones at personnel deployed near the site, following which security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Several police personnel were injured in the clashes. A large security deployment was subsequently maintained around the mosque and adjoining areas as authorities sought to prevent further violence.

Police action underway

Police registered cases in connection with the unrest and identified several people accused of stone-pelting and disturbing public order. Authorities also examined the role of social media accounts suspected of circulating misinformation linked to the demolition drive.

The situation was brought under control later in the day, though security remained heightened around the area. The High Court’s disposal of the appeals brought the legal challenge over the road-widening action to a close on the basis of the arrangement placed before it.