Ujjain, October 23 — The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the Madhya Pradesh High Court's order and upheld the demolition of the nearly 200-year-old Takiya Masjid in Ujjain, dismissing a plea by 13 residents who sought reconstruction of the mosque and an inquiry against officials. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said it did not find any infirmity in the High Court's decision and that the petitioners were free to pursue remedies available under law, including compensation.

Source: OBNews

Senior advocate M R Shamshad, appearing for the petitioners, contended that the mosque was razed to expand a parking facility for the adjoining Mahakaleshwar Temple and criticised the High Court's observation that the right to practise religion has no connection with any particular place. The petitioners said the mosque was a duly notified Waqf property since 1985 and had continued to function as a place of worship until its demolition, and they alleged that compensation was wrongly paid to unauthorised persons. The bench said the High Court had given sound reasoning that compensation shall be paid if warranted, and declined to reopen the factual dispute or the legality of the acquisition. Education Post reported Justice Nath remarked during the hearing, "Too late now, nothing can be done."

Source: Education Post

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore bench of Justices Vivek Rusia and Binod Kumar Dwivedi had on October 7 rejected Writ Appeal No. 2782 of 2025, filed by Mohammed Taiyab and others against the Writ Court's September 4 order. The High Court held that the acquisition proceedings had attained finality, that the land had been acquired by following due process of law, and that the right to profess, practise and propagate religion under Article 25 is a personal right with no nexus to any particular place. It also held that without seeking quashing of the acquisition proceedings and the award, the petitioners — who it found had no locus to seek reconstruction — could not be granted restoration or possession of the property, and noted that the Waqf Board has filed a civil suit against the state government claiming compensation.

Source: LawStreet

According to the court record, the Takiya Masjid stood on Survey Nos. 2324 to 2329 in Revenue Circle-3 of Ujjain tehsil, was established around 200 years ago and was declared Waqf property through an Official Gazette notification dated December 13, 1985. It was demolished on January 11, 2025, after the land was acquired to expand parking for the Mahakal Lok Parishar of the Mahakaleshwar Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. With the Supreme Court's dismissal, the site will continue as part of the redevelopment and parking expansion around the temple complex.