Dargah demolition: Supreme Court notice to Uttarakhand authorities on contempt plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the authorities of Uttarakhand on a plea for initiating contempt action in connection with the demolition of a registered waqf property.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih sought a response from the state authorities as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, contended that in 1982, the religious place was registered as a waqf property but it was demolished despite the statement made by the Centre before the apex court. 

The court scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 15.

“We will keep it along with those matters (relating to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025)," the bench said. 

The court is to hear a batch of pleas on May 15, challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The contempt plea claimed that Dargah Hazrat Kamal Shah was registered as a waqf property with the Sunni Central Board of Waqfs, Lucknow, in 1982, and it was a revered site of religious importance for over 150 years. 

The plea alleged that a dargah, in Dehradun, was demolished in the intervening night of April 25-26 without any notice despite the assurance given before the apex court by the Centre on April 17 in the matter concerning challenge to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The plea also referred to the court's November 13, 2024 verdict which laid down pan-India guidelines and barred demolition of properties without a prior show cause notice and 15 days' time to the aggrieved party to respond.