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A Delhi district court on 17 September, 2026, ordered summons to be issued to multiple defendants in a civil suit brought by Save India Foundation, founded by activist Preet Sirohi, over massive land grab directly linked to Syed Ahmed Bukhari.
The Tis Hazari Court directed that summons be served on eight defendants, namely: Syed Ahmed Bukhari; Imam Abdullah Bukhari Hospital; Imam Abdullah Bukhari Medical Centre; Car Parking Jama Masjid Delhi Foundation Trust; Government of NCT of Delhi through the Chief Secretary; the District Magistrate, Central; the Public Works Department, GNCTD; and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd.
The next hearing has been fixed for October 29, 2026.
The suit, filed through advocates Umesh Sharma, Yogesh Agarwal, Kamal Jindal and Vikas Sharma, is titled Save India Foundation versus Syed Ahmed Bukhari & Ors
SIGNIFICANCE
The order is an important procedural step because the defendants will now have to formally respond to the suit before the court, and the legal battle to free public land around Jama Masjid of encroachments has now opened.
Notably, on 27 August, Rashtra Jyoti exclusively reported about two lawsuits filed by SIF alleging large-scale public land grab around Delhi Jama Masjid complex by Bukhari and associated entities.
The report can be read here: https://rashtrajyoti.com/rashtra-jyoti-exclusive-delhi-jama-masjid-syed-ahmed-bukari-encroachment-save-india/
The illegal structures, as per the lawsuits, include: a permanent residential structure, a hospital, a medical centre, a paid car-parking operation, an e-rickshaw charging station and occupation of three public parks.
The lawsuits were filed in:
1. District & Sessions Court, Central District, Tis Hazari
Save India Foundation & Anr. v. Syed Ahmed Bukhari & Ors
2. National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi
Save India Foundation v. Deputy Commissioner, City S.P. Zone, MCD & Ors.
Notably, a significant portion of illegal structures as alleged in the second suit filed in NGT were razed down by the Delhi authorities two weeks ago.
Note: The research, preparation and filing of official representations before government authorities, and the subsequent court proceedings in this matter have been undertaken by Preet Sirohi through Save India Foundation, with the work backed by Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation and Rashtra Jyoti, run by Sanjeev Newar and Swati Goel Sharma.
The team has previously successfully pursued the illegal encroachment by the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque complex in the Ramlila Maidan-Turkman Gate area of Delhi through legal intervention, culminating in extensive demolition, among other projects.
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