Fact Check: Has a court ordered the demolition of Afzal Khan’s tomb in Maharashtra

New Delhi, May 28: The grave of Afzal Khan is being guarded heavily following political controversies over Aurangzeb's tomb in Aurangabad and the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi.

Amidst this a post has gone viral with the claim that a court has order the demolition of the tomb of Afzal Khan at Pratapgad in Maharashtra. OneIndia has learnt that this claim is misleading and no court has ordered the tomb of Afzal Khan in Satara.

However there are public interest litigations filed in the Bombay High Court seeking legal action against the encroachments around the tomb.

According to a OneIndia report published on September 13 2007 said that the High Court had directed Conservator of Forests to take legal action within four weeks against all illegal constructions up near Afzal Khan's tomb on historical Pratapgarh in Satara District.

This direction came on a public interest litigation filed Varsha Deshpande, a lawyer from Satara, seeking to end communal tension over the alleged illegal construction in the area where, the Moghul commander's tomb was located, the report also said.

Hence it becomes clear that no appeal had been made in any court to demolish the tomb of Afzal Khan.

Hence the claim being made on the social media is fake.