'There will be no new construction or demolition', Supreme Court's strict order to DDA on Mehrauli Dargah and historical structures:

The Supreme Court has issued a significant order concerning the Aashiq Allah Dargah and the Chillagah of Sufi Saint Baba Sheikh Fariduddin in Mehrauli, Delhi. The Court has made it clear that no new building or alteration will be allowed in or around the site. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan formed the bench that heard the matter.

The question “why do you want to break it” was put directly to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) by Justice Nagarathna. The DDA replied that the area has been classified as forest land, and the authority therefore opposes any added construction near the Dargah.

Counsel Nizam Pasha pointed out that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has classified the Dargah as a 12th-century monument. Pasha contended that the views of any religious committee cannot overrule this classification and insisted that there is no illegal construction at the site. The DDA responded that it will “protect” only the sections of the building that the ASI identifies as requiring preservation.

Earlier this issue moved to the Delhi High Court.

The dispute began with a public interest litigation (PIL) asking the High Court to halt plans to demolish the Dargah and Chillagah. The court ruled quickly, stating the sites were not officially protected monuments. Following that, a fresh challenge was taken to the Supreme Court against the Delhi verdict.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the present condition of the Dargah and Chillagah cannot be changed. No demolition, no repairs, and no new building work can take place right now. So, for now, these centuries-old sites in Mehrauli are safe from any destruction plans.