Allahabad High Court questions UP govt over sealing of mosque without notice
Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has sought an explanation from the Uttar Pradesh government under Hindutva Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the sealing a place of worship without issuing prior notice or providing the owner an opportunity of hearing.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan made the observation while hearing a petition filed by Ahsan Ali, challenging the sealing of a mosque under construction in Muzaffarnagar district.
In its order, the court raised two significant questions: whether any law empowers authorities to seal a place of worship without prior notice or hearing, and whether property owners require prior government permission to carry out construction inside a place of worship.
As per the petition, Ahsan Ali is the lawful owner of the land, having purchased the plot in 2019 through a registered sale deed from Praveen Kumar Jain. The mosque was sealed after construction, including a boundary wall, had begun, with officials alleging the work was illegal due to the absence of prior permission.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that no notice was served and no opportunity of hearing was given before the sealing, which violated principles of natural justice and the owner’s fundamental rights.
The High Court has now directed the UP government to file an affidavit clarifying the legal provisions invoked for the sealing and to state whether due process was followed.
