Following a 49-year legal fight, the Kalyan civil court rejected the Majlis-e-Mushayara's claim to the disputed Durgadi Fort and declared it to be state government property on Tuesday.

The organisation had claimed that the site was theirs because it contained a Muslim prayer area. However, Judge A S Lanjewar rejected this claim, stating it was too late to make and confirmed that it is a government-owned site. The fort, which holds both religious and historical importance, has been managed by the state since 1966. Hindu organisations have welcomed the court's decision, while the Majlis-e-Mushayara has filed a petition to pause it. After the ruling, security around the fort has been strengthened. The legal fight over the ownership of Durgadi Fort started in 1976 when the Majlis-e-Mushayara group claimed the property, arguing that it included a mosque and Idgah. This dispute came up even though a report from the district administration in 1966 suggested there was a Hindu temple on the fort grounds.

In 1966, a committee set up by the district collector made an initial report mentioning the presence of a Hindu temple on the fort site. Over time, this location has become a point of disagreement due to its religious and cultural importance to both communities. The government's advocate, Sachin Kulkarni, stated that the court has upheld the site's status quo since 1966. By claiming that the site was under government authority, the court permitted the Public Works Department to carry out repairs in 1994. The assertion that the state government had seized the fort in 1966 and given it to the Kalyan Municipal Council, which was instructed not to hold any events there and to keep up the temple grounds, was further corroborated by official records. The state recovered the property as the council did not follow the rules.

“The court has now reaffirmed the government’s ownership and ruled that any activities on the premises require prior permission from the district administration,” said Kulkarni. “The court held that the claim was filed after an unreasonable delay and failed to provide sufficient justification. The request by the Muslim community to transfer the case to the Waqf Board was also rejected.” The chairman of Majlis-e-Mushayara, Sharfuddin Karte, told HT that he had been managing the case for the previous thirty-two years, during which time the court has performed no sessions.“No evidence was examined or verified, and suddenly the judgment was delivered, citing the case as time-barred,” he said. “This is completely unjust, and we will challenge the decision with the evidence we possess, some of which dates back 200 years.”

"Although we have not yet received the official court order, we have increased security across the Kalyan region, including Durgadi Fort, following the court's judgment, to prevent any untoward incidents," said Atul Zende, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3. “This sacred land was blessed by the footsteps of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In 1656, Shivaji Maharaj captured this fort from the Nizamshahi rulers. In 1968, Balasaheb Thackeray himself visited the temple with his wife, opposing the claims made by the Muslim community. Anand Dighe also conducted a protest in the same matter. The so-called Eidgah is merely a wall, while the temple has stood here for centuries and cannot be claimed by anyone else,” said Ravi Patil, the city chief of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the Kalyan region.