The Uttar Pradesh government commenced demolition activities on Saturday at the Mustafa Qadri Mosque in Sambhal district, a site embroiled in a land ownership controversy. Officials contend that the mosque has been constructed on government land, while the mosque committee has sought legal avenues to contest this assertion.

Four bulldozers were deployed as officials undertook the demolition of the mosque, situated on a plot measuring 120 square metres. A substantial police presence, along with revenue officials, was stationed at the location to maintain order during the operation.

Background of the Dispute

This land dispute originated following a revenue survey that was conducted in January, which classified the land where the mosque is located as government property. The administration later indicated that further examination revealed the mosque was registered as Waqf property, despite the official records attributing ownership to the state.

Authorities alleged that when the property was registered with the Waqf Board, relevant documents signifying government ownership had not been presented. Consequently, an FIR was registered against seven members of the mosque committee, citing charges related to these alleged discrepancies.

An eviction order was issued by the Tehsildar’s court on April 21, labelling the mosque’s construction as an illegal encroachment. The mosque committee subsequently appealed this order in the District Magistrate’s court; however, their appeal was denied, paving the way for the demolition under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code.

Execution of Demolition

This demolition initiative was led by Tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar and Naib Tehsildar Deepak Jurail, with assistance from revenue officials and police personnel. District Magistrate Ankit Khandelwal and Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Bishnoi were present to supervise the proceedings.

The demolition of the mosque is part of a broader pattern of anti-encroachment efforts by the district administration. For instance, on June 5, the authorities razed the ‘Khere Wale Baba Chaman Shah Baba Dargah Sharif’ in Gunnour tehsil, after a revenue court determined the shrine had also been erected on government property.

District Magistrate Khandelwal confirmed that local resident Aziz has been charged regarding the shrine’s construction, which was characterised by officials as an infringement on public land. He stated that the tehsildar’s court deemed this construction illegal, and although an appeal was made to the district magistrate’s court, the party could not provide supporting evidence.

Ongoing Land Reclamation Efforts

Revenue officials indicated that Aziz had possession of approximately 24 square metres of government land on which the shrine was built, which is estimated to be around five years old. Following the tehsildar’s eviction directive, this ruling was upheld by the district magistrate’s court.

Superintendent of Police Bishnoi characterised the structure as a site of religious significance and noted that the demolition forms part of an ongoing initiative aimed at recovering government land under the state’s land bank concept. He cited that approximately 100 hectares of land have been reclaimed from encroachment in the district so far.

However, Aziz, the shrine’s caretaker, disputes the claims made by the administration, arguing that the site holds historical value and has been established for 500 to 600 years and is dedicated to a venerated saint.

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