The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Delhi Government in response to a petition alleging illegal construction of a multi-storey mosque on land officially designated for a public park in F Block, Mangolpuri.
The contested site, which is under the ownership of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), was reportedly encroached upon for the construction of a building identified as “Madina Masjid” without any legal sanction or approval.
The issue was brought to light by civic activist and anti-encroachment campaigner Preet Sirohi, who leads the Save India Foundation—a legal and environmental advocacy group.
A user on X, Swati Goel Sharma shared details of the case on X and said, “Shocking. Last year itself, Delhi govt admitted under RTI that the land on which multi-storey madina mosque in Mangolpuri stands is green land marked for public park. But they didn’t try to remove the encroachment and, instead, let it grow taller! Now, @BhaiPreetSingh has moved court, which today issued notice to Delhi govt. Together, Preet Sirohi and we @RashtraJyoti @sewanyaya are fighting these serious cases of communal encroachments.”
Background
In April 2024, Preet Sirohi lodged a formal complaint with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), highlighting unauthorised construction activity on the designated green land. The complaint was registered on the Special Task Force (STF) portal urging immediate removal of the structure.
Subsequently, an RTI response received by the Foundation confirmed that the land is owned by DUSIB and is explicitly marked for use as a public park in the approved layout plan—a document now accessed and cited by @RashtraJyoti.
However, despite the clear legal status of the land and repeated follow-ups, the concerned authorities failed to take any action for several months. In light of continued inaction, Sirohi filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court, seeking urgent judicial intervention.
The prayers in the petition include an issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the concerned authorities to take immediate legal action against the illegal construction and encroachment, as highlighted in the STF complaint.
It also includes an order for the complete demolition of the unauthorised structure and restoration of the land in accordance with the layout plan for F Block, Mangolpuri, where the site is earmarked for park development.
The case raises serious questions about urban land misuse, religious encroachments, and governmental inaction despite formal confirmations of illegality. The Delhi Government has been asked to file its response in the matter, and further hearings are expected in the coming weeks.
