The Delhi high court on Friday issued a notice to the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid for his failure to comply with its order for removal of encroachments within the vicinity of the hostoric mosque in Delhi.

Issuing notice to Syed Ahmed Bukhari, a Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rekha [Images] Sharma asked him to file the reply within two weeks explaining why no action has been taken so far to remove encroachments despite court's directions to restore the glory of the monument.

The bench passed the order after a submission made by the petitioner Usha Kumar that the court had directed the Imam to voluntarily remove all encroachments in and within 300 metres periphery of the mosque.

She said sufficient time was also given to him, but not a single encroachment was removed so far.

Earlier, a public interesy litigation was filed by a Non-governmental Organisation Heritage and Cultural Forum of India run by advocate Usha Kumar seeking court's direction to the management of Jama Masjid to remove all encroachments for the beautification of the monument.

She said in her petition that the mosque had not been so far declared a protected monument, though the Indian National Tust for Art and Cultural Heritage and the Delhi Development Authority had included it in their respective list of protected monuments.