The Delhi High Court has granted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) additional time to conduct an inspection of Jama Masjid and submit its findings. The inspection is part of ongoing PILs that are seeking to declare the mosque a “protected monument.” The court ordered the ASI to submit its report at least a week before the next hearing on January 29, 2025. The inspection, initially scheduled for October 23, 2024, will involve a representative from the Waqf Board and a lawyer from the petitioner’s side.
In December, senior advocate Anil Soni, representing the ASI, requested more time to complete the survey. The bench allowed the extension and permitted one petitioner’s lawyer to accompany the ASI during the inspection. The PILs, filed in 2014 by Suhail Ahmed Khan and Ajay Gautam, questioned why Jama Masjid was not under ASI’s jurisdiction, citing concerns about the title of the “Shahi Imam” held by Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari and the appointment of his son as the deputy Imam.
In a 2015 affidavit, the ASI revealed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Shahi Imam that Jama Masjid would not be designated as a protected monument. The ASI also noted that declaring Jama Masjid a protected monument would bring significant changes, as certain regulations and prohibitions would be imposed around the mosque. Currently, the mosque is managed by the Delhi Waqf Board, although the ASI has been involved in its conservation.
