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Bars Forest Officials from Interfering with Ananthagiri Hills Mosque and Madrasa
The has disposed of a filed by the of a mosque and madrasa at Ananthagiri Hills, directing forest officials not to interfere with the peaceful possession and management of the religious institution without following . The court, however, explicitly clarified that its order does not permit any upon .
Allegations of Interference
Mohammed Faiyaz Ali, the of Sunni Masjid Osmania and Deeni Madarsa, approached the High Court alleging repeated interference by forest authorities. He claimed that on , during Friday prayers, forest officials forcibly entered the premises, obstructed the congregation, and orally directed him and the students to vacate. The petitioner argued that the institution is a registered Waqf under , with a Muntakhab issued in and a confirming its legal status. He contended that the 's actions violated .
's Stand
The
denied all allegations. In written instructions from the Forest Range Officer, Vikarabad, dated
, the department stated that it
"never interfered with the
or religious activities carried on within the enclosure"
and never attempted to dispossess the petitioner. It maintained that any inspections were solely in discharge of its
to protect reserved forests from encroachments and unauthorized activities.
Court's Disposition
Justice Surepalli Nanda, noting the 's that it had not interfered, directed the officials not to disturb the institution's possession and administration . However, the court added a crucial safeguard:
"It is further observed that under the guise of the present order, passed in the present
, the Sunni Masjid Osmania and Deeni Madarsa, situated at Ananthagiri hills, Vikarabad District, shall not encroach upon any Reserve Forest area. In the event of any such
, it is open for the respondent
to initiate appropriate action against the encroachers concerned in accordance to law."
The was thus disposed of with , balancing the institution's rights with the need to protect forest land.
