HC reserves order on plea for namaz at disputed site

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC on Tuesday reserved its order on interim demand of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board seeking permission for the Muslim community to offer ‘namaz’ on the disputed ground where the district administration had demolished a mosque on May 17 in Barabanki’s Ram Sanehi Ghat.
The court, however, asked the state to file its reply on the issue. The benchpassed the order on a writ petition moved by the AIMPLB which challenged the order of the sub-divisional magistrate of Ram Sanehi Ghat issued on April 3 ordering demolition of the mosque.
The petitioner has also demanded direction for local authorities to restore the mosque and allow the management committee to reconstruct the mosque and to direct the discontinuation of the use of the area as a park. AIMPLB also sought to direct the state to pay it Rs 25 lakh for defraying expenses for reconstruction of the mosque.