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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea has been filed in Allahabad High Court seeking direction to the Uttar Pradesh Government to reconstruct the Imambara Ghulam Haider at Prayagraj city which was demolished in the year 2015 under the Samajwadi Party government.

The petitioner, Syed Shabbir Shaukat Abidi, President of Asar Foundation has also demanded legal action against the erring authorities who had allegedly sold the Imambara properties to land mafias and had built a commercial building in its place.

Abidi has alleged that in collusion with the Mutawalli, the then chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, Waseem Rizvi had got the old Imambara demolished and precious old stones, etc were sold to land mafias. Abidi has also claimed that as Rizwi was a henchman of Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan, therefore, the previous State Government was not interested in carrying out a fair and proper investigation into the matter.

As per Abidi's plea, a four-story commercial building was built in place of the old Imambara for personal usage and the buried dead bodies of the family of the Gulam Haidar and himself, who had donated his personal land as Waqf, were also removed from the Imambara land.

Abidi has also asserted that upon his complaints against this illegal demolition, an inquiry was ordered by a high-level committee, however, the committee members were chosen by the culprits themselves.

Abidi has also alleged that thereafter, a First Information Report (FIR) was also registered in the matter against the Waqf Minister and the Chairman of the Board and the matter is now being investigated by the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID). However, as per Abidi, no action was taken against the responsible person(s) due to political influence at that time. 

Further, Abidi has also stated that on the opposition of religious leaders and community, the said commercial buildings were demolished, however, the 200-year-old Imambara was not restored. Therefore, seeking relief, Abidi has knocked on the writ Court's doors. 

Cause Title: Syed Shabbir Shaukat Abidi vs State of U.P. and Another