Sambhal: The Sambhal district administration carried out a major anti-encroachment drive on October 2, 2025 demolishing a large marriage hall and a mosque that were illegally built on what was once village pond (talab) land in Raya Buzurg village. The crackdown on illegal structures, which marks the second mosque demolition in the district in four months, followed official confirmation that the structures—standing for about a decade—were constructed without permission on the land of the Gram Sabha.
There was heavy deployment of security forces by the administration including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). In order to combat any untoward incident during the demolition drive, the entire area was monitored by drone cameras. Locals were instructed to remain indoors to ensure the peaceful conduct of the drive and prevent any potential unrest.
The administration before bull dozing the illegal mosque, followed due to legal process. Sambhal Superintendent of Police KK Bishno informed the media that legal notices under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Land Revenue Code were initially issued to the owners on September 2, providing a 30-day window for the voluntary removal of the illegal constructions. “Since no action was taken within the deadline, the district administration moved forward with the demolition drive,” Bishnoi confirmed to the media.
Bulldozer action by administration in Sambhal, demolish illegal mosque |
Heavy Police security@swati_gs @SanjeevSanskrit #sambhal #bareilly #masjid #cmyogi #bulldozer #uttarpradesh pic.twitter.com/DqMbRsxcOU— Preet Sirohi (@BhaiPreetSingh) October 2, 2025
The demolition of the marriage hall was executed immediately using number of bulldozers. However, the mosque committee requested a brief extension to dismantle the religious structure themselves. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vikas Chandra stated, “The mosque committee requested four days, and the process has started today,” confirming that the committee had begun removing the encroachment. Officials verified that the mosque, the marriage hall, and an adjoining madrassa were all illegally erected on Gram Sabha land, including parts of the village pond.
#WATCH | Sambhal, UP | Sambhal Masjid Committee demolish a mosque in Rae Buzurg village after being issued an order to remove the encroachment. pic.twitter.com/ddRxoZngbn
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2025
The action in Raya Buzurg is part of a broader ongoing effort against illegal structures in the district. Just four months prior, in June, the Raza-e-Mustafa Masjid in Chandausi, which was also alleged to have been built on municipal property, was torn down along with 34 nearby houses.
District Magistrate Rajinder Pensiya emphasised the cooperative nature of the drives. “All demolition of illegal structures is being carried out peacefully and in cooperation with local committees,” he said. The recent demolition in Raya Buzurg, where the mosque committee agreed to self-dismantle, underscores the administration’s stated approach.
On the bulldozer action, Tehsildar Dharmendra Kumar says, “This is a case of encroachment on a pond and reserved land. The court had passed an eviction order… The mosque has been vacated. On the request of the mosque committee, the DM has given them time, and they will remove the mosque themselves”
In the past, the administration had to face the attack from the Islamists when they had approached to do the survey of the disputed mosque in Sambhal.
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