Numainda Committee member Fahim Sikandar said discussions involving the local administration, the Shahar Qazi and committee officials had resulted in an arrangement to carry out the work peacefully. He said the committee had sought to protect the religious site as far as possible, but agreed to remove the section obstructing the proposed road.
Tension was reported on Monday after the decision was not communicated to all those concerned. Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd that allegedly threw stones while protesting the proposed demolition. The situation later calmed after senior community members clarified that the work would be undertaken voluntarily.
The exact extent of the removal remains under discussion. Sikandar said talks concerned the demolition of 3 to 8 feet of the mosque wall, while the administration had initially sought the removal of approximately 9.5 feet. Under the agreement, the affected section would be about 3 feet, according to Kuldeep Pathak, a lawyer representing one of the Muslim parties.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench disposed of two separate writ appeals after the Muslim parties and Ujjain Municipal Corporation informed it that a settlement had been reached. The court said assurances given by the civic body and its interim notice in the case would bind the corporation, and directed both sides to follow the agreement. Work is expected to take seven to eight days, with machinery used if required and safety given priority.