NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued a firm directive to the Union Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), requiring them to produce a critical file related to a decision made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The decision in question, which dates back to 2004, determined that the Mughal-era Jama Masjid in the capital would not be declared a protected monument. This directive from the court came during a hearing on Wednesday, with a clear warning that failure to comply with the order could result in serious consequences for the responsible officials.
The court’s bench, comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Amit Sharma, emphasised the gravity of the situation. “These are crucial documents that fall under your custodianship, and it is your duty to ensure their safety. The loss of such important files is a matter of great concern, and if they are indeed missing, we will take stringent action against the officials involved,” the bench stated.
The high court was responding to a series of PILs seeking directives to declare Jama Masjid a protected monument and to remove encroachments surrounding the site. The issue of the missing file was brought to the court’s attention after it was revealed that officials were struggling to locate the document, which has reportedly gone missing.
In 2017 and again in 2018, the court had ordered the Ministry of Culture to present the file, which contains records of Singh’s decision not to classify the Jama Masjid as a protected monument. The file was initially produced in May 2018, but subsequent hearings revealed that the original letter from the former prime minister was no longer in the file. The ASI assured the court that efforts were underway to recover the missing document.
The court has now set a firm deadline, instructing the file to be presented at the next hearing on September 27. “Whether it is the ASI or the Ministry of Culture, the original file shall be produced in its entirety at the next hearing. Failure to do so will result in holding officials accountable,” the court said.