The demolition of a century-old shrine has led to criminal cases against officials for alleged forged records; Muslims allege bias and political pressure
DEORIA — Six people, including senior revenue staff, have been booked after the Uttar Pradesh administration used a bulldozer to demolish the Abdul Ghani Shah Baba Dargah in Deoria district, an action that has left the local Muslim community shocked and angry.
The shrine, long known as a place visited by people of different faiths, was pulled down after the district administration claimed it stood on government land. Police said the case relates to alleged forged papers used to record the land in the name of the dargah more than three decades ago.
An FIR has been lodged at Kotwali police station on the complaint of accountant Vinay Singh. Those named include then Sadar Shahabuddin, Naib Sadar Irshad Ahmed, Nazim Mubarak Ali, Naib Nazir Arshad Warsi, Radheshyam Upadhyay, and accountant Ramanuj Singh. Police allege that in 1993 records were altered to show government wasteland as dargah land.
A senior police officer said, “The case has been registered on the basis of revenue records and an official complaint. The matter will be examined in court.”
The action followed sustained pressure from BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi, who had written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking action over the land on which the shrine stood. After his complaint, the district administration ordered an inquiry, which concluded that the land belonged to the government.
Tripathi told reporters, “No illegal structure should stand on public land. Those who forged papers must face the law.”
Muslim residents of Deoria tell a different story. Many say the shrine existed for decades with the knowledge of authorities and was never questioned until recent months. “This dargah was part of our social life. People came here to pray, Hindus and Muslims alike,” said local resident Mohammad Salim. “Suddenly, it became illegal after politics entered the matter.”
Tension grew after photographs of social media personalities Payal and Mannara at Muslim religious sites went viral. Hindu organisations objected to the images and staged protests, demanding action. Community leaders allege that this anger created the ground for the demolition drive.
A member of the dargah committee said, “We were called to the SDM court and put under pressure. We were told the structure would be removed anyway. What choice did we have?”
Several Muslim groups have questioned why the focus fell only on a dargah, while many unauthorised structures linked to Hindu groups across the district continue without action. “The bulldozer seems to have one direction,” said advocate Irfan Ahmad. “When it comes to Muslim places, the action is swift. In other cases, files gather dust.”
Rights activists say booking lower-level officials alone will not answer wider questions. “If records were forged in 1993, why did the system wake up after 30 years, and only after a political complaint?” asked social activist Nuzhat Fatima. “This is about power, not paperwork.”
As the dust settles on the demolished shrine, fear and mistrust remain. For many Muslims in Deoria, the fall of Abdul Ghani Shah Baba Dargah is seen not just as a legal action, but as another sign that their religious spaces stand on fragile ground in today’s Uttar Pradesh.
