Supreme Court Intervenes in Demolition of Hazrat Saatpeer Sayed Baba Dargah

The Supreme Court temporarily halted the demolition of Hazrat Saatpeer Sayed Baba dargah in Nashik, demanding a report from the Bombay High Court on why the shrine's plea wasn't listed. The demolition, by Nashik Municipal Corporation, occurred just before a scheduled court hearing, raising legal and ethical concerns.

The Supreme Court has issued an interim stay on the demolition notice served by Nashik's civic body, concerning the Hazrat Saatpeer Sayed Baba dargah. This directive came amid claims that the Nashik Municipal Corporation dismantled the dargah mere hours before the scheduled court hearing.

According to sources, the contentious demolition at Kathe Galli in Nashik took place during the night of April 15-16. The court proceedings in the apex court were subsequently held on the afternoon of April 16. Justices P S Narasimha and Joymala Bagchi highlighted the urgency, noting that the high court had not yet listed the plea filed on April 7.

Senior advocate Navin Pahwa, representing the dargah, emphasized the importance of the case, as the religious structure faced immediate threats of demolition. Consequently, the Supreme Court ordered an inquiry into the delay and asked the Bombay High Court's registrar general for a swift report on the petition's listing status.

(With inputs from agencies.)