New Delhi

On Friday, the Supreme Court refused to stop the Gujarat government’s demolition drive in the Gir-Somnath district. A bench led by Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan heard from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who mentioned that several attempts for an interim injunction had been unsuccessful. He noted that the Gujarat High Court had thoroughly reviewed the case the day before and decided not to impose a status quo order after a lengthy session.

The Supreme Court was addressing a petition from the Samast Patni Muslim Jamat, which sought contempt action against the state for demolishing structures without adhering to its prior order that halted such actions nationwide, except with its permission. The court indicated it would not issue a notice at this time, asking the solicitor general to file a response instead.

The bench warned that if it found that demolitions occurred in violation of its order, it would hold officials accountable and demand restoration of the previous conditions. The case will be revisited on October 16.

The petition alleged that demolitions of significant Muslim sites, including mosques and burial grounds, took place on September 28 without any prior notice. The state action began on September 27 to remove unauthorized structures near the historic Somnath temple to facilitate a development project, claiming the buildings were illegally constructed on land owned by the Shree Somnath Trust.