Arise Bharat

On 9^th October 2025, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has delivered a powerful and explosive judgment that exposes a deep conspiracy involving illegal religious construction, forged documents, calculated deception of the judiciary, and blatant negligence by government officials. This is not a routine land dispute—it is a textbook example of how religious identity was misused to grab land, manipulate the legal process, and paralyze the administration, all at the expense of law-abiding citizens who purchased homes in a peaceful residential layout. The controversy centers on Plot No. 26 in Sagar Nagar RTD Layout, Visakhapatnam, a layout governed by strict cooperative society bye-laws allowing only residential use. In complete violation of these rules, a mosque was constructed without obtaining any planning permission or building approvals from municipal or town planning authorities. Residents raised objections immediately, pointing out that even basic approvals were not secured. The municipal corporation itself confirmed the illegality and issued a demolition notice on May 7, 2022. Yet despite full knowledge of the violation, authorities failed to take any meaningful action.

Frustrated, the residents were forced to approach the High Court in 2023 (WP 4948/2023). The Court acted firmly and directed the municipal corporation to issue a final order. The corporation complied and issued a demolition order on 26.10.2023, but then mysteriously fell silent. When questioned, officials claimed they were “waiting for police protection,” a weak and unacceptable excuse that exposed either total administrative incompetence or deliberate collusion with the violators. Justice N. Harinath strongly criticized this bureaucratic delay and warned that illegal construction must be acted upon immediately and that officials cannot hide behind procedural excuses while the law is being openly violated. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the High Court went a step further and explicitly ordered the complete removal of the illegal mosque, leaving no room for ambiguity.

The most shocking aspect of the case was the fraud and deception by the mosque-related individuals. Instead of correcting their illegal actions, they fabricated documents to falsely legitimize the structure. The Court found that the land was actually in the name of Sagar Nagar Masjid-E-Ayiesha Association, not in the name of the individual claiming ownership. Shockingly, Mohammad Irfan’s father executed a Waqf deed in 2022, pretending he personally owned the land. To justify this fraudulent deed, a “No Objection Certificate” from association members was created after the Waqf deed. Both documents were notarized on the same day, clearly indicating they were manufactured together as part of a legal cover-up to mislead the authorities and the Court.

The High Court immediately saw through this scam and invoked a fundamental principle of law: “No one can transfer a better title than he himself possesses.” In simpler terms, you cannot declare someone else’s land as Waqf or religious property unless you legally own it. The Court condemned this act as an attempt to “hoodwink the authorities and mislead the Court,” a rare and extremely strong judicial rebuke. To make matters worse, the individuals involved lied to the Court, concealed previous notices, ignored earlier Court directions, and filed a fresh writ petition (WP 3434/2025) to stall the demolition. They even tried to exploit a technicality by arguing that the demolition order was addressed to a deceased person. The Court acknowledged this procedural issue but made it absolutely clear that the illegality of the construction remained unchanged. The judge emphasized that those who suppress facts and approach the Court with unclean hands do not deserve any relief, issuing a direct warning against litigation fraud—a rising threat in land and religious disputes.

Even more damning, the Court noted that the cooperative society’s own bye-laws strictly prohibit any religious structure on residential plots. Residents had purchased their homes with the assurance of a peaceful, residential environment. The construction of a mosque without any approval not only violated urban planning laws but also disturbed social harmony and the rights of the homeowners. The Court reaffirmed that the law is supreme over religious claims and that no community can weaponize faith to force illegal structures into residential zones. In its final directive, the Court issued a strict and time-bound order: the demolition order must be re-issued to the correct person within two weeks, the illegal structure must be demolished within one week thereafter, and police protection is mandatory to ensure enforcement. The Court declared that there will be no more delays, no more excuses, and no more manipulation.

This judgment stands as a landmark victory for rule of law, urban planning, and citizens’ rights. It exposes how religious land mafias operate, how documents are forged to grab land, how officials protect illegal structures through inaction, how courts are misled with false narratives, and how residents suffer due to systemic failure. Most importantly, the Court has sent a thunderous message to the entire nation: religious identity cannot legalize encroachment, planning laws apply equally to mosque, temple, or church, officials who fail to act are equally guilty, and citizens have the right to fight back—and win. This case is not just about one illegal mosque. It is about exposing a dangerous trend, breaking a pattern of silence, and restoring faith in the justice system. The mask has been ripped off and the truth now stands naked. The public is watching—will the system finally act, or will it once again protect the lawbreakers? This story is far from over, and even more explosive developments may follow.