In a concerning revelation, a case of unlawful possession and alteration of houses constructed for the underprivileged under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has emerged in the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. Reports indicate that members of the Muslim community have taken over 125 residences illegally in the area. These residences have been subjected to unauthorised modifications, including constructing domes, and transforming them into mosques, tombs, and sites for exorcisms.
What has also come to the fore are pictures of many Hindu girls and women from this mosque-like structure. These pictures have marks, including a circle and a cross, signifying a target woman and a dead woman. The police are still investigating the matter.
Illegal Mosque Construction
Locals have informed Organiser that out of 335 houses constructed in the locality, as many as 125 have been illegally occupied, with 65 of them being vacant initially but not captured by illegal immigrants, rest were captured by threatening residents and forcing them to flee.
The district Housing Board initiated the construction of 400 residences in Ward 43 Devrikhurd of the Municipal Corporation border region in 2013 under the Prime Minister’s Awas scheme. Of these, 335 apartments were allocated to families in need, while the Municipal Corporation secured the remaining 65 houses. However, it was reported that outsiders forcibly occupied these locked houses and began residing in them.
Shocker from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh: last week, a colony with houses build under PM Awas Yojna made headlines in newspapers. Turns out, local Muslims have converted two of these homes into a Mazar. Also, number of pictures of women with marking like this have been recovered: pic.twitter.com/nkyBPraPud
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) February 22, 2024
Moreover, out of the 335 families originally assigned residences, 60 were reportedly threatened and forcefully evicted from their homes, which were then unlawfully occupied by others. Subsequent illegal construction activities ensued, with the addition of domes to some structures to impart an Islamic identity, followed by rituals of exorcism.
According to the locals, structures resembling tombs have been erected on houses numbered 199 and 200, named under Shankar Dharu and Sukhdev, respectively. Allegedly, these houses are now occupied by an individual named Zakir Khan, with claims suggesting the presence of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims in the area.
Local residents have voiced concerns, stating that a significant portion of the houses built under the Prime Minister’s scheme have been sold, contrary to the program’s provisions prohibiting such transactions. It is estimated that approximately 125 properties in the vicinity have been unlawfully occupied, with a continuous influx of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and other states.
BP Singh, Chairman of the Housing Board Colony, expressed distress over the situation, highlighting the emergence of anti-social activities around the newly constructed tomb-like structure. He emphasised the need for proper verification of the occupants’ identities and urged the Municipal Corporation Administration to take necessary action against illegal occupants. Singh also emphasised the submission of multiple requests to remove the unauthorised construction.
In response to the escalating situation, Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer Suresh Barua acknowledged receiving reports of unlawful construction in the Prime Minister’s housing scheme in Devrikhurd. He affirmed that unauthorised alterations to the designated residences are unacceptable and assured that necessary measures, including demolition, will be undertaken following due notice to the inhabitants.
Love Jihad and targeting Hindu girls
Organiser called up a local Hindu activist, Dhananjay Giri, who has been one of many who highlighted the matter and informed the authorities. Giri said, In the first week of February, a 13-year-old girl went missing from the locality. It turned out that one, Imran Mohammad who came a few months back to the colony as a tenant had abducted the minor. After the Hindu activist got involved, the police recovered the girl on February 10, although the accused is yet to be nabbed.
Giri recounted that during the search for the missing girl, they inspected a structure resembling a Mazar and stumbled upon photographs of several girls and women bearing peculiar markings. Some images were adorned with circles, while others had crosses, accompanied by notes indicating “Intkaal Ho gaya” (Now Dead). Suspecting foul play, Giri documented the findings and presented them to the district administration along with a memorandum, urging for a thorough investigation.
Giri said, among the pictures of the men recovered from the Mosque, many are part of the Hindu organisations and they raise their voice against illegal Islamic activities.
Following this, the police searched the Mazar and after verifying the documents, the construction was demolished. The caretaker of the said Mosque is also being investigated. About the pictures, the police teams are yet to collect information.
On February 21, the teams checked, the documents of the residents living there and found irregularities.
Giri said, that after Muslims started to encroach on the property in the region, many Hindu families were forced to leave their houses. The Mazar structure was built over the house of two Hindus and when they came to get possession, they were threatened and forced to leave.
Illegal Religious Construction
Ajay Suravanshi, another Hindu activist, has brought to light additional images from the area depicting structures resembling Islamic religious sites. Among these are a Mazar-like edifice situated along the roadside and a shop-like structure adorned with Islamic flags. These instances highlight a series of illicit constructions within the community, which was originally designated as government welfare housing for the underprivileged.
While the district administration has taken steps to dismantle the mosque, the caretaker remains elusive. Additionally, police teams have yet to evict the houses unlawfully occupied by individuals identified as Islamists and to probe their identities. Many residents have alleged that these individuals are “Rohingya Muslims” and have noted their use of languages other than Chhattisgarhi.
Organiser will update this report with the documents and other details in the case.
