The Supreme Court has pulled up the MCD and the ASI for filing misleading affidavits about the condition of heritage monuments in the capital, including several sites of deep significance to the Muslims.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and NongmeikapamKotiswar Singh condemned what it called “total callousness” and “suppression of facts” on the part of the MCD. The court found that photographs published in The Hindustan Times and The Times of India directly contradicted claims made by the MCD in a sworn affidavit stating that certain structures were free of encroachment and in a satisfactory state of conservation.
The proceedings stem from a 2019 Delhi High Court judgment initially concerning the Gumti of Shaikh Ali. The Supreme Court later expanded the matter to cover heritage sites across Delhi.
Petitioner Rajeev Suri placed the newspaper photographs on record, and the bench found a stark contrast between what the authorities had sworn before the court and the actual ground conditions. The court expressed serious concern, stating it was “unable to understand how such a stand could be taken before this Court by… the MCD.”
The court also noted similar conduct by the ASI regarding Atgah Khan’s Tomb, Gogabai’s Tomb, and Lal Chaubara, all of which carry historical and cultural weight for India’s Muslim heritage. The newspapers ‘belied’ the ASI’s affidavit. The matter is next listed for Oct. 7, 2026.