LUCKNOW: A local court in Saharanpur district of western Uttar Pradesh ordered the demolition of an allegedly illegal mosque situated on the premises of the District Magistrate (DM) office and imposed a penalty of over Rs 6 crore on its occupants.
The order came after a complaint filed by Vikas Tyagi, former provincial coordinator of Bajrang Dal. In his complaint, Tyagi had alleged that an illegal mosque had been constructed inside the DM office complex, a sensitive government zone where confidential administrative work was carried out.
The complainant also alleged that the premises was being used for commercial activities apart from religious purposes.
According to the complaint, a post office was operating from the site and several rooms were rented out to outsiders, with the mosque committee collecting monthly rent from the tenants.
Taking cognisance of the complaint and conducting hearings on it, the court of City Magistrate Kuldeep Singh directed that the structure be demolished with immediate effect.
According to sources, the court also imposed a fine of around Rs 6.41 crore on the occupants for alleged illegal encroachment and misuse of government land.
Officials said the action was taken because the presence of the structure was affecting the security and confidentiality of operations of the government office complex.
The development comes amid a series of actions against allegedly unauthorised religious structures in different parts of Uttar Pradesh.
In February last year, authorities demolished a portion of the Madni Mosque in Kushinagar district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, alleging that it was built on encroached land.
The Madni Mosque caretaker, however, maintained that members of the Muslim community had purchased the land about a year ago for the construction of the mosque and denied any encroachment. The mosque committee had approached the High Court and obtained a stay on the demolition until February 8.
After the stay expired on February 9, authorities resumed the demolition exercise.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh government authorities on a contempt petition challenging the demolition of part of the Madni Mosque in Kushinagar. The petition alleged that the demolition was carried out in violation of the Supreme Court's November 13, 2024 order, which restrained demolition drives across the country without prior notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
