Security was significantly tightened around Delhi's historic Turkman Gate area on Monday as officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) conducted an inspection of alleged illegal encroachments involving a mosque and a graveyard. The move, which follows a Delhi High Court directive, was met with resistance from local residents, prompting heightened police deployment to maintain order.
Court Order Triggers Inspection and Tensions
The inspection stems from an order passed by the Delhi High Court on November 12, 2025. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Save India Foundation trust, which sought directions for the removal of illegal encroachments. In its order, the HC observed that the land where the Masjid Syed Faiz Allah and an adjacent graveyard stand belongs to the government. The court also noted an apparent inter-departmental dispute concerning the land and referenced a Joint Survey Report (JSR) conducted by various government bodies.
Based on this report and the court's observations, the HC ordered concerned authorities to take action against the alleged encroachments. The JSR, involving the MCD, Delhi Development Authority, Land and Development Office (L&DO), Revenue Department, Public Works Department, and the police, identified encroachments on three types of land: a PWD road, MCD land used for commercial activities, and L&DO land occupied by the mosque and graveyard.
Stakeholder Meetings Fail to Resolve Ownership Claims
Following the court's directive, two rounds of meetings were held with stakeholders, including the mosque's managing committee and a member of the Delhi Waqf Board (DWB). During these discussions, Hafiz Matloob Karim, the General Secretary of the managing committee, was asked to provide documents proving ownership or lawful possession of the land.
Karim argued that the Faiz Elahi Masjid and Dargah Syed Faiz Illahi are over a century old, predating India's Independence, and functioned as a mosque and graveyard. He submitted that both properties should be considered 'Waqf by user', a classification he claimed does not require traditional title documents.
However, the MCD countered that a 1970 Gazette Notification, which the DWB relied upon, does not clearly specify or demarcate the area in question. The consecutive meetings concluded that neither party had been able to provide documented evidence to establish clear ownership or lawful possession of the disputed land. An official statement from the proceedings sharply criticized the misuse, stating, "By no stretch of imagination, masjid or dargah or graveyard can be used as a marriage venue or clinic. This is a blatant misuse of public land."
Local Resistance and Legal Challenge
As MCD teams visited the site on Sunday, January 5, 2026, and police followed up on Monday, January 6, they encountered opposition from locals. In response to the proposed demolition action, the mosque's managing committee has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay. The plea was due to be heard on Tuesday, January 7, 2026.
Dilshad Ahmed, another member of the mosque's managing committee, questioned the timing of the action on Monday. "If this was an encroached land, where have the authorities been since so many years?" he asked, adding that encroachments mentioned by the PWD had already been removed. He emphasized the need for fair representation in the process. Meanwhile, MCD officials remained unavailable for comment despite attempts to reach them.
The situation remains tense and legally contested, with the Delhi Police maintaining a strong presence to prevent any escalation while the judicial process unfolds.
