SC grants Maharashtra govt two weeks to remove encroachment near Haji Ali Dargah

Pic courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Maharashtra government two weeks time to remove encroachments near the famous Haji Ali Dargah trust in south Mumbai.

Issuing a warning, the apex court asked the state government to be ready to face the consequences if the encroachments near the historic shrine are not removed within two weeks.

The direction from the apex court came after the Haji Ali Dargah trust, which had earlier volunteered to remove the encroachments, expressed its inability in completing the task.

The apex court also directed the Deputy Collector of Colaba zone of south Mumbai to ensure that its order is complied with. 

The apex court had in April asked the Haji Ali Dargah Trust in Mumbai to demolish all encroachments in and around the Dargah, excluding the mosque standing on 171 sq metres area.

A bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Jagdish Singh Khehar passed the interim order after hearing a plea filed by the petitioner, Haji Ali Dargah trust which told the court that the encroachment portion should be removed.

The apex court also made it clear that the Haji Ali Dargah trust will remove the alleged encroachments by May 8.

The apex court also in its order said that no court shall grant any injunction on the removal of the alleged encroachments, adding that if any party wanted some modification of the court order, it can certainly move to this court.

(With ANI inputs)