Supreme Court seeks reports from the ASI and NMA in plea seeking protection of centuries-old religious structures in Mehrauli, Delhi

Today (July 29), the Supreme Court (SC) was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the order of the Delhi High Court (HC) refusing to pass any directions for protecting the centuries-old religious structures inside the Mehrauli Archaeological Park in Delhi. The bench impleaded the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) as a party in a plea seeking protection for centuries-old religious structures inside the Mehrauli Archaeological Park including Chillagah of Baba Farid, and 13th-century Ashiq Allah Dargah (1317 AD). During the proceedings, the SC noted that the Religious Committee meeting had not been held; therefore, it relisted the matter for hearing in the week commencing from September 23. The top court bench constituting Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar sought a status report from the ASI and the NMA (National Monument Authority). It said, “It will be open for the ASI and NMA to visit the site and submit the status report, which may also be also be submit to the religious committee.” Further, Justice Khanna said, “Let them point out which are the old monuments and which are the recent constructions.”