SC protects Thane dargah from demolition for 7 days

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a week's status quo on the demolition of a dargah (religious shrine) in Thane.

A bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B Varale directed an interim stay of seven days on anti-encroachment exercise and ordered the trust managing the dargah to move the Bombay High Court for recall of the order directing demolition of the structure.

The top court was hearing the plea by the trust against a March 10 order of the high court, which ordered demolition of the unauthorised parts of the shrine.

The trust challenged the high court's order on the grounds that it did not consider the crucial fact that a civil suit filed with respect to the construction was dismissed in April 2025.

The trust's counsel submitted the construction's 3,600 square feet -- of the total 17, 610 area -- was the contentious issue.

The bench observed not disclosing about the suit was embarrassing and if revealed previously, the high court might have given a different finding.

"What we propose is that we give them permission to file a recall in view of the fact that the high court seems to have omitted to consider the fact of the disposal of the suit… We will protect them for seven days," the bench told the state government's counsel.

If the high court refused to hear the recall, the trust was at liberty to move the apex court, the bench added.