Delhi high court directs govt panel to file report on illegal religious structures

While issuing the directive, the bench took note of the status report filed by the religious committee in July 2024

The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Delhi government’s religious committee to file a report within six weeks regarding the action taken to remove 249 unauthorised religious structures built on public land.

Delhi high court. (HT Archive)

A bench led by chief justice DK Upadhyay directed the committee to file the report after collating information from various agencies on whose land the structures were situated, including the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Cantonment Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the ones responsible for removal of such structures.

While issuing the directive, the bench, also comprising justice Tushar Rao Gedela, took note of the status report filed by the religious committee in July 2024, which said that the recommendation to remove 249 unauthorised religious structures was made after holding 51 meetings.

The matter arose from a plea related to the removal of illegal religious structures on public land received from the Supreme Court in 2018. In 2018, the Supreme Court had transferred the petitions related to the removal of structures to the respective high courts, to ensure effective implementation of its orders passed from time to time, in their respective jurisdiction.

On July 23, 2024, the high court had directed the land-owning agencies in the city to file reports about action taken by them pursuant to the recommendations of the religious committee to remove certain unauthorised religious structures.

During the hearing on Friday, DDA’s counsel submitted that the agency pursuant to the committee’s decision had identified and demolished 127 illegal religious structures, some of which were built in Sanjay Van and Jahanpanah city forest. The counsel further submitted that 82 of the 127 structures were identified by the forest department.

The court will hear the matter next won May 14.