Bareilly: The district administration on February 7 demolished an illegally-constructed mosque in Pipariya village under the jurisdiction of Bhojipura police station, an official said, with heavy security deployed in the area.
Legal battle spanned 18 years
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bareilly Sadar, Pramod Kumar, stated that the mosque was built on a plot classified as barren government land in the revenue records. He added that the structure had been encroaching upon government property and was removed following a civil court order, using bulldozers to clear the land.
The SDM noted that the demolition followed an 18-year-long legal process. Initially, a tehsildar court had deemed the construction illegal and issued an eviction order. This decision was challenged in the civil court, which ultimately dismissed the case, leaving the administration free to proceed.
Kumar clarified that after receiving the court order on Friday, notices were issued to the concerned party to vacate the land. Since the party did not comply, the administration carried out the demolition, clearing about 300 square yards of encroached government property. A fine was also imposed on the encroachers as part of the eviction process, which has already been paid.
During the demolition, strict security arrangements were in place, with police forces from multiple stations and PAC personnel deployed throughout the village to maintain law and order.
