Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh: After the Madhya Pradesh high court’s Indore bench rejected the Ujjain-based Shahi Masjid’s writ petition seeking protection for the centuries-old structure, a part of it was brought down on Monday (September 28). A two-judge bench ruled that only a three-foot section of the mosque could be removed. The Indore municipality is expanding roads in the city to prepare for a Hindu “spiritual event” in 2028, for which a section of the Shahi Masjid was slated for removal along with other buildings along a pre-determined route. The situation around the Shahi Masjid in Ujjain turned tense on Sunday night and Monday morning as people gathered at the site and the administration began the process of removing a portion of the mosque. There was stone-pelting and police fired tear gas shells and using force as the Indore bench heard the mosque committee’s appeal.Reports said that a large police contingent of around 600 personnel including the Rapid Action Force have been deployed around the area. Drones and CCTV cameras have been deployed in large numbers in the area and were being used to identify people who arrived at the site prior to the removal of the three-foot structure.Ashar Warsi, the advocate representing the Mosque Committee before the court speaks to the media in Ujjain on Monday, September 28, 2026. Photo by arrangement.Earlier, a video had surfaced of the same mosque, as a few Muslims chipped away at the mosque’s lattice and used a hammer to bring the three-foot section down, while a couple of people were seen praying. Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma told a news outlet that the removal was being carried out by the mosque committee itself and that the security was for backup purposes alone.So far, as per reports, 7 people have been arrested and 15 detained in connection with the Ujjain incident.The city qazi Khalil Qureshi Rehman, who was part of the discussions with the administration that began on Sunday (September 27) night and were finalised early on Monday morning, appealed to people not to come to the site as an agreement had been arrived at. “Do not pay attention to any kind of rumour and unnecessarily leave your homes and go to the spot,” he said.“A part of the Shahi Masjid located at Chhatri Chowk is being voluntarily removed by the community members,” said Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh, as per reports.Road-widening is being undertaken in Ujjain ahead of the Simhastha 2028 fair, which millions of devotees are expected to attend. In all, 272 structures have been marked for demolition as part of a road-widening project for this “spiritual fair”.On September 9, while hearing a plea from the mosque committee, a single-judge bench had asked the authorities to follow the Master Plan during the road-widening exercise. Advocate Ashar Warsi, representing the mosque, had thereafter appealed before the division bench. The primary plea was that an alternative route to the one being proposed could easily be found that did not involve removal of any part of the mosque’s structure. According to Mohammad Ibrahim, imam of the mosque, the Shahi Mosque is one of the oldest religious structures in Indore, built in 1390, making it 636 years old. Initially, 11 feet were supposed to be demolished, but the settlement arrived at was for three feet. “We argued that even a small deviation in the route could have helped avoid the removal of a part of the mosque,” Warsi told reporters.However, the situation changed on Sunday (September 27), and after tensions rose in the area, one section of elders in the Muslim community decided to withdraw from the court case. The other section, represented by Warsi, appealed before the division bench, he said.On Monday, the two-judge bench dismissed the mosque committee’s plea, clearing the way for the road widening to continue. The court ruled on the basis that the administration and the mosque committee had held discussions on the issue of the three-foot area.This condition was put forward by the mosque’s advocates, and it was accepted by the court. Further, the Indore Municipal Corporation had said in its affidavit that the land acquired during the road widening would be compensated through FAR and TDR benefits as per regulations. That is, instead of cash compensation, the municipal government would allow extra building rights that could be used on the same property or sold to a builder. The mosque committee that had appealed before the court wanted this condition strictly followed. The division bench ruled that this indicated the matter had been resolved and directed the municipal corporation to comply with the conditions stated in its affidavit.“We feel that considering the situation that was arising in Ujjain, the court’s intervention was very necessary and its decisions today were, in my view, the best possible steps to take,” said Warsi.He confirmed that the decision was made for the mosque committee members themselves to take down the part of the mosque that was to be removed.Following the order, road widening work in Ujjain will continue.