NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday included the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a respondent in a plea seeking protection of centuries-old religious structures within the premises of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park in the national capital, including the 14th-century Ashiq Allah Dargah, dating back to 1317 AD, and Chillagah of Baba Farid.
The apex court also sought status reports from the ASI and the National Monument Authority (NMA) in the matter.
A two-judge bench of the top court led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar passed the order after hearing a Special Leave Petition against the Delhi High Court order which refused to pass specific directions for the protection of the structures.
During the proceedings on Monday, the Supreme Court expressed its desire to include the ASI as a party to the case. Justice Khanna said, “They should state which monuments are old and which are recently built.”
At this stage, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the petitioners, informed the court that the NMA is a party in the manner.
Directing the case be listed for hearing in the week commencing September 23, 2024, the court said the ASI and NMA will be free to visit the site and submit a status report, which may also be submitted to the religious committee.
The plea before the Delhi High Court raised apprehension that the centuries-old Dargah in Mehrauli area will be demolished by the Delhi Development Authority, after the 600-year-old Akhonji mosque was demolished by the agency in January.