Mumbai developer attempts to build on mosque land

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A fresh dispute over religious land has surfaced in Mumbai after a real estate developer attempted to initiate construction on a plot linked to a decades-old mosque and madrasa in the city’s Andheri industrial belt, triggering public anger and raising questions over due process while the matter remains under judicial consideration.

According to Clarion India, the incident unfolded last week in the Andheri Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area, where trustees of Masjid and Madrasa Ghousia Rizvia said a developer cleared land along a roadside and carried out Hindu religious rituals to mark the start of construction. 

Trustees maintain that the plot was earmarked for the mosque under a written agreement and that the foundation for a new mosque structure had been laid several years ago and remains visible at the site.

The land dispute is already pending before the Bombay High Court, where a case related to construction on the same plot is under hearing. Trustees alleged that the developer moved ahead even though the matter is sub judice, with MIDC and police officials present during the attempted start of work.

Residents from surrounding neighborhoods—including both Muslims and Hindus—gathered at the location as construction activity began, questioning how work could proceed while the court case remains unresolved. 

Witnesses said officials from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and police personnel were present during the episode, adding to concerns about institutional neutrality.

Trustees said they had earlier been contacted by police after the developer sought security arrangements to begin work. They told authorities that no construction could be permitted, as the agreement over mosque land had not been altered and the issue was under judicial review. 

They rejected claims that the mosque was being shifted to another location, saying no fresh consent or agreement had been signed.

Community representatives argue that MIDC has no authority to relocate a place of worship without the consent of its trustees, particularly when the matter is before the court.

They say the attempted construction amounts to forcing a change on disputed religious land through administrative presence rather than legal resolution.

Police officials at the site said their role was limited to maintaining law and order and that any dispute over land ownership or religious structures must be resolved through dialogue or the courts. No construction has proceeded since objections were raised, though trustees say the episode has heightened anxiety within the local Muslim community.

The mosque and madrasa have served residents in the Andheri MIDC area for many years and hold significant religious importance. Trustees say they will continue to rely on legal remedies and have demanded that authorities halt any action that undermines existing agreements or bypasses judicial oversight as the case remains pending.