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Malegaon: Relief to 370 Muslim families as HC puts brakes on BJP govt bulldozers

The Bombay High Court in a late evening ruling Friday May 30, 2025 ordered protection to over 370 Muslim families in Malegaon whose homes were facing demolition following an order by the right-wing BJP government in Maharashtra

Saturday May 31, 2025 8:16 PM, Aleem Faizee

[The 370 families with Malegaon Fort seen in background (Image: ummid.com)]

Malegaon: The Bombay High Court in a late evening ruling Friday May 30, 2025 ordered protection to over 370 Muslim families in Malegaon whose homes were facing demolition following an order by the right-wing BJP government in Maharashtra.

The BJP-led government in the state had in an order taken on January 21, 2025 announced to remove “all encroachments in and around the historic forts in Maharashtra” by May 31, 2025.

Accordingly, the local administration in Malegaon had issued evacuation notices to over 370 Muslim families in Survey No. 9 residing meters away from the four walls of the historic fort in the heart of the Powerloom City.

As many as 133 out of the total 370 families after receiving the notices approached the Bombay High Court in early May. Responding to their petitions, a vacation bench of Justice Gauri Godse and Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan put a stay on the demolition of their homes till June 17, 2025.

Despite the HC stay, the local administration distributed fresh notices on May 26, 2025 asking the residents to evacuate their homes before May 31, 2025.

Shocked petitioners rushed to the court again following which the vacation bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan in a fresh ruling on Thursday May 29, 2025 asked the local administration to refrain from action till June 17, 2025.

Nonetheless, the local administration and civic officers reportedly planned to demolish the homes of the remaining 237 families. Panicked, these families also approached the Bombay High Court seeking urgent hearing on their case on Friday May 30, 2025.

Consequently, the Bombay High Court granted till June 17, 2025 protection to all the 370 Muslim families residing near the Malegaon Fort.

Bombay HC raps Maharashtra govt

[Some families in the area near the Malegaon Fort said they are residing here since more than 100 years. (Image: ummid.com)]

The Muslim families in their petitions had said a Marathi medium school is run and Lawn Tennis Court of Kashikar Gymkhana is located inside the Malegaon Fort.

They also said even Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Bhavan - the Malegaon Municipal Corporation building, is located meters away from the Malegaon Fort. In their petition, they also highlighted that dozens of other families are also residing on the other sides of the Fort.

“The administration’s demolition orders are selective and biased. If not, the local administration should take action against everyone”, Mustaqeem Diginity, President of Malegaon Samajwadi Party and a member of Malegaon Minority Defence Committee (MDC), who helped the Muslim families in their legal battle, said.

A School and Kashikar Gymkhana Lawn Tennis court running inside #Malegaon Historic Fort are in news as #Maharashtra govt plans to make all forts in the state free from encroachments. pic.twitter.com/Ph9p6kaKsv

— ummid.com (@ummid) May 31, 2025

“More surprising is that a school is run well inside the fort. Kashikar Gymkhana and its tennis court are also inside the four walls of the fort. But, the government in its endeavor to clear historic forts from encroachments has ignored them and ordered to clear the homes of these families who are residing outside”, he added.

The Bombay High Court during the hearing slammed the “selective evacuation orders” issued by the local administration and asked it to submit an explanation by June 10, 2025.

During the hearing on Thursday May 29, the Bombay HC judges were furious on the local administration for going ahead with the demolition despite the court’s stay.

The local administration has not commented on this but has cancelled the demolition drive reportedly planned on Saturday May 31, 2025 following the Bombay High Court order.

Over 100-year old homes

[The local residents said they have legally acquired electricity and water connections, and are regularly paying all taxes. (Image: ummid.com)]

Some families in Survey No 9 near the Malegaon Fort said they are residing here since more than 100 years. They also said they have legally acquired electricity and water connections, and are regularly paying all taxes.

“I can show you a 1960 tax receipt issued by the Malegaon Civic Body”, Swaleha Bano, a house wife, told ummid.com.

Jameel Ahmed (34) and Mohd Sufiyan (32) said they were born and grown up here, and don’t even remember since when their ancestors are living here.

[Crowds in the locality after the Bombay HC verdict Friday May 30, 2025 (Image: ummid.com)]

“My grandmother used to say she came here after her marriage, and my great-grandfather was alive”, Jameel said.

Sohail Ahmed (54) also said he and his family are residing in their current home since many decades.

Also Read: School ne Malegaon Fort ki waat laga diya hai: Fine Arts students

“Most of the inhabitants here are poor and working in local powerloom industries. Their earning is limited. This is also one of the reasons why they cannot shift from their current small homes despite having bigger families”, he said.

The 370 Muslim families had earlier taken their case to Lok Ayukta Maharashtra too. “The Lokayukta Maharashtra in its order had said these families cannot be shifted until they are provided with an alternate home”, Local MLA of AIMIM Mufti Ismail said.

[The writer, Aleem Faizee, is Founder Editor of ummid.com. He can be reached at aleem.faizee@gmail.com]

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