Hyderabad, Jan. 31 -- The Supreme Court has held that the offering of prayers by Muslims at a premises in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, which is not included in the official list of auqaf, does not give it the character of a mosque, and ruled that unless a mosque stands on waqf land, a waqf tribunal cannot entertain a suit to declare the place a mosque.

Mosque claim since 2008

The ruling relates to the ground floor of an apartment complex on prime land in Banjara Hills, which has been claimed as a mosque since 2008.

Access to the premises was stopped in 2021 by the owner of the land and the builder of the apartments.

Mohammed Ahmed filed a suit before the waqf tribunal seeking to restrain Habib Alladin and others from causing hindrance to...