UP mosque demolished after committee fails to show Waqf board permission
A mosque constructed on Waqf property without permission from the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board was demolished using a bulldozer in Sambhal district on Thursday.
The demolition took place in Kutubpur Sakta village under the jurisdiction of the Aichoda Kamboh police station, following an administrative inquiry into the construction.
The structure, identified as the Karim Mosque, had been built on a 130-square-metre portion of land recorded as Waqf property.
According to officials, the mosque was constructed around three months ago and subsequently registered with the Waqf Board. However, the mosque committee failed to produce documents showing permission from the board for the construction.
The demolition drive was carried out under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vikas Chandra and Tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar Singh.
A team of revenue officials and police personnel reached the village with a bulldozer to carry out the action.
Security was tightened across the area ahead of the demolition. Police personnel from 10 police stations, including two Circle Officers and four station house officers, were deployed along with the Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) and a platoon of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
Officials also arranged rooftop security at nearby buildings and used drones to monitor the area. The village was placed under heavy security to prevent any disturbance during the operation.WHY WAS THE KARIM MOSQUE DEMOLISHED?
The matter came to the administration's attention after local residents complained about the construction. The mosque stands on a 130-square-metre portion of plot number 57K, which forms part of a larger 3.367-hectare parcel of land in Kutubpur Sakta village.
Following the complaints, District Magistrate Ankit Khandelwal directed Waqf officials to investigate the matter. The officials issued a notice to Irshad, the mosque's mutawalli, seeking documents related to the property and permission for the construction.
The mosque committee reportedly submitted some documents concerning the land but failed to produce an authorisation certificate from the Sunni Central Waqf Board permitting the construction of the mosque.
The inquiry team subsequently submitted its findings to the SDM. Based on the report, Tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar Singh issued an order for the demolition of the newly constructed structure.
SDM Vikas Chandra said the administration had sought an explanation from the mosque committee regarding the permission obtained for the construction. However, the committee failed to provide a satisfactory response, following which the demolition was carried out.
Tehsildar Singh said the land had been declared Waqf property and that the mosque structure had been constructed on a 130-square-metre portion of it.
He added that an inquiry by the District Minority Welfare Officer had found no documents establishing that the required permission had been obtained.HEAVY POLICE DEPLOYMENT IN VILLAGE
Circle Officer Aman Singh said police personnel from 10 police stations had been deployed in the area, along with the RRF and a PAC platoon. Rooftop security arrangements and drone surveillance were also put in place to monitor the situation.
The demolition operation comes amid heightened administrative and security attention in Sambhal. Officials said the deployment was intended to maintain law and order throughout the action.
The mosque was demolished following the inquiry into the construction and the administration's finding that the committee had not produced the required permission documents from the Waqf Board.- Ends
