In Brief
A mining company leased land in Rajasthan to extract minerals. A waqf board claimed that a dilapidated structure (Qalandari Masjid) on a hill within the lease area was a religious site protected as waqf property. The Supreme Court dismissed the board's appeal, holding that the structure cannot be classified as a waqf without proof of dedication, actual use for prayer, or grant under Muslim law. The Court found the structure was located on a different survey number than the leased land, bore no evidence of actual religious use, lacked basic facilities, and was merely a crumbling wall and platform. Historical records alone could not establish waqf status.
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