Before bulldozers arrived, villagers raze mosque and clear debris themselves

Sambhal (The Uttam Hindu): A shocking incident has emerged from Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh. Here, villagers demolished the illegally constructed Medina Mosque on Saturday night, even before the administration's bulldozers could be deployed. The administration team was scheduled to arrive in Salempur Salar, also known as Hajipur village, on Sunday morning, but before that, the mosque was not only demolished, but the debris was also cleared overnight and the ground leveled.

This entire dispute concerns approximately 439 square meters of village land. In 2000, as part of the consolidation process, this land was reserved for housing for poor families in the village. However, around 2005, a mosque was illegally constructed by encroaching on this government land. Based on a report submitted by the accountant on June 14, 2025, action was initiated under Section 67 of the Revenue Code. After hearing the side of Mutawalli Haji Shamim, the administration took a tough stance.

On September 2, 2025, the administrative court passed an eviction order and imposed a hefty fine of 878,000 rupees. In this case, a man named Owais Alam admitted to the encroachment and requested the administration to exchange the land for other land. Since exchanging government land based on religious occupation was not legally possible, his application was rejected on December 18, and clear instructions were issued to demolish the mosque.

When the mosque wasn't removed within the stipulated deadline, the administration scheduled action for 10 a.m. on Sunday. A team of 31 officers and police, along with bulldozers, were prepared for this. Sensing the administration's strictness and extensive preparations, the villagers, to avoid a confrontation, called for a bulldozer themselves on Saturday night and demolished the two-story Medina Mosque. By morning, the bricks, stones, and debris were removed.

Currently, photographs from the scene tell the full story. The site where the mosque stood until yesterday, where prayers and ablutions were performed, now represents only flat, empty land. This "private action," which occurred before the administration's action, is being widely discussed in the village. Although the mosque committee and villagers are refraining from speaking on camera about the issue, this move has averted a potential conflict between the administration and the villagers.