DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has disposed of a petition filed by the Jama Masjid Committee of Thano, which challenged the sealing of an allegedly unauthorized construction and the rejection of its application for regularization (compounding).
Court's Directions
A single-judge bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari directed the competent authority of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) to provide the petitioner, within one week, a written list of all documents and objections required for consideration of its application. The court further directed the MDDA to take a final decision in accordance with the law within three months of the petitioner submitting a fresh application along with the required documents. The court also clarified that the petitioner remains free to approach the state government for a change in land use in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Background of the Case
The Jama Masjid Committee had challenged an order issued by the MDDA's presiding officer on May 14, 2026, directing the sealing of construction carried out by the committee under Section 28A of the Uttarakhand Urban and Country Planning and Development Act, 1973. Appearing for the MDDA, advocate Rahul Kansal informed the court that the committee had earlier applied for regularization of the construction but failed to submit documents relating to land ownership and a registration certificate from the Uttarakhand Waqf Board. Consequently, the application was rejected on April 25 this year.
MDDA's Offer and Petitioner's Response
During the hearing on Wednesday, the MDDA submitted that it was willing to reconsider the matter if the petitioner filed a fresh compounding application along with all the required documents. Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for the petitioner, agreed to the proposal and submitted that the committee was prepared to file a fresh application addressing all objections raised by the authority and furnishing the necessary documents.
About the Author: Pankul Sharma is a journalist based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, with over 22 years of experience. He currently serves as a special correspondent covering the Judiciary (High Court, NGT, Consumer Commission, and Tribunals), Archaeology, Culture, and Industry.
