Shimla, Dec. 1 -- Shimla's long-running Sanjauli Mosque dispute saw an unexpected development on Monday when the Waqf Board withdrew its petition challenging the district court order that upheld the demolition of the mosque structure in its entirety.
The matter was listed before a division bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court for arguments on the maintainability of the Waqf Board's plea. However, before the hearing could begin, counsel for the petitioner, BS Thakur, sought permission to withdraw the appeal, stating that the Board intended to amend the petition.
The court allowed the withdrawal. The withdrawal marks a fresh twist in a dispute that has spanned nearly 16 years and involved more than 50 hearings before various courts. The...