Moradabad

The district administration on Wednesday demolished a mosque in Moradabad that officials said had been constructed on gram sabha land, as part of an ongoing campaign to remove encroachments from public property.

The demolition was carried out in Ber Khera village under the Bhagpatpur police station area. Teams from the police and revenue departments were deployed at the site, while additional security arrangements were made to maintain law and order during the operation.

According to officials, revenue records identified the land as a “khad ke gaddhe” (manure pit) belonging to the gram sabha. After examining ownership documents and land records, authorities concluded that the structure had been built without legal authorisation and initiated action following the prescribed legal process.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Kunwar Akash Singh said the demolition was conducted peacefully under administrative supervision and no untoward incident was reported.

Officials stated that the district administration has been conducting a drive against illegal occupation of government land, gram sabha property and other public-use areas. They added that similar action would continue wherever unauthorised constructions are found.

The administration also urged residents to verify land ownership status and obtain the necessary permissions before undertaking any construction on public or government-owned land.

The latest action follows similar operations in the district. On June 6, authorities removed a mosque allegedly built on government land in Didhauri village under Sadar tehsil. Earlier, on June 15, a mazar identified as Hazrat Sultan Shah Baba near Kanth Road on the Moradabad-Haridwar highway was cleared as part of the same anti-encroachment initiative.

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The development comes amid a series of administrative actions across Uttar Pradesh targeting religious structures linked to alleged encroachment, redevelopment projects or public-safety concerns. Recent operations have included the removal or relocation of a mosque near Kashi railway station, a madrassa in Ghaziabad, a mazar on Agra’s M.G. Road and a mosque situated along a highway in Bahraich.