In a significant development in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district, residents of Hajipur village took matters into their own hands on Sunday. They voluntarily dismantled an allegedly illegal mosque that was facing imminent demolition for encroaching on government land.
Voluntary Action Averts Planned Demolition
The action unfolded under the limits of the Asmoli police station. The mosque, constructed on approximately 1,339 square meters (around 1.5 bigha) of government land, was officially slated for demolition on Sunday. However, in a pre-emptive move, villagers began taking down the structure hours before the administration's team arrived at the site.
District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya clarified that both the mosque and a nearby madrassa were built illegally some 20-25 years ago on government property in Hajipur village. Officials stated that a demolition order had been passed by the tehsildar court six weeks prior, following a four-month notice issued to the concerned parties. This notice period was set to expire on Sunday, triggering the planned action.
Land to be Allotted to Beneficiaries
Following the removal of the structure, the administration announced plans for the cleared land. It will be allotted to 20 selected beneficiaries under the state government's patta scheme. This programme grants legal ownership of land to eligible beneficiaries, typically landless or economically weaker families.
Tehsildar Dhirendra Pratap Singh termed the voluntary removal a "positive step." After the residents' action, the administration used bulldozers to clear the remaining debris, a process that took nearly three hours.
Second Demolition in the District
In a related action, the district administration on Saturday demolished another allegedly illegal mosque in Raya Buzurg village. Officials said the encroachment was not fully removed despite prior notices.
Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Kuldeep Singh explained that the mosque management committee had been given time to remove the structure on its own, but the process remained incomplete. Naib Tehsildar Deepak Kumar Jurail provided details, noting the structure was built on plot number 459, which is recorded as a manure pit in revenue records. An eviction order had been passed by the tehsildar court in September. Although a week's extension was sought on October 2, no subsequent action was taken.
Jurail added that the demolition was carried out peacefully with adequate security deployment, including police and PAC personnel, and no protests were reported.
