New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday sought an explanation from the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid here for not complying with its direction to "voluntarily" remove his "illegal constructions" along the walls of the mosque.

A bench judges Vijender Jain and Rekha Sharma issued the direction after being informed of Syed Ahmed Bukhari's violation of the court's order last year and asked him to file his reply within two weeks.

The bench was hearing a public suit by Heritage and Culture Forum seeking removal of the encroachments in and around the mosque.

The petitioner had also sought a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to declare the mosque a protected monument.

The mosque had not been declared a protected monument, though the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the Delhi Development Authority had included it in their lists of protected monuments, the petitioner said.