Part of 185-Year-Old Mosque Demolished in UP Amid Encroachment Row
In Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, a portion of the 185-year-old Noori Masjid was demolished on Tuesday by local authorities, citing encroachment on the Banda-Bahraich Highway. The move comes just days after the Supreme Court emphasized that bulldozer actions must align with the rule of law.
The district administration claims that the demolished section was constructed illegally over the past two to three years, referencing satellite and historical images. The Public Works Department (PWD) stated that a notice was issued on August 17 to remove the encroaching structure, giving the mosque management a month to comply. However, instead of demolishing it themselves, the committee chose to challenge the order in the High Court.
Inspector Vrindavan Rai of Lalauli police station confirmed the action, saying, “About 20 metres of the Noori Masjid, obstructing the widening of Banda-Bahraich Highway No. 13, was demolished by a bulldozer in the presence of officials. The debris is now being cleared.”
However, Mohammad Moin Khan, the Mutawalli (chief) of the mosque committee, contested the claims, stating, “The Noori Mosque was built in 1839, while the road came up much later in 1956. Despite this, the PWD is now labeling parts of the mosque as illegal.”
Additional District Magistrate Avinash Tripathi defended the move, asserting that the mosque management was among 139 entities served notices in August for removing encroachments. He added that repair work on the highway and drainage construction necessitated the action. “The mosque management had earlier removed shops attached to the structure. The portion demolished now was built only a few years ago,” he explained.
The demolition was carried out under heavy police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployment to maintain law and order in the area.
News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”
