The demolition is the latest in a series of actions targeting Muslim religious structures in Sambhal District
NEW DELHI — Heavy bulldozers, accompanied by a large posse of policemen and senior administrative officials, rolled in in the sleepy Sirsi area of Sambhal District in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and demolished a shrine, locally known as Sher Ali Baba Peer mazaar.
Officials described the structure as an “illegal shrine” and the demolition was part of a massive “anti-encroachment drive” on government land.
Sambhal Tehsildar Dhirendra Pratap Singh told reporters the site comprises 200 bighas of lake land recorded in government revenue documents. He said local farmers had encroached upon this land for cultivation, and “an attempt was made to establish a permanent claim over the area by constructing a small shrine.”
Along with the mazaar, another 22-square-metre “tomb-like construction” was also demolished. Authorities said around 70 to 80 bighas of agricultural encroachment were cleared during the drive, with no resistance reported. Videography of the entire operation was conducted, media reports said on Sunday.
According to officials, a case regarding the shrine was earlier filed in the tehsildar’s court against its custodian, referred to as a mutawalli. Following the custodian’s death, “no one came forward to file an objection regarding the shrine,” the tehsildar said. An eviction order was issued on Saturday before demolition.
The administration stated the lake area had been under continuous encroachment for cultivation despite being recorded as government property. Officials added that the campaign against illegal occupation of government land will continue in the district “to reclaim public land and restore ecological balance,” noting the lake “holds environmental importance”.
The demolition of the mazaar is the latest in a series of actions targeting Muslim religious structures in Sambhal District under anti-encroachment drives:
In October 2025, a mosque and 80 homes in Hatim Sarai were declared “illegal” for being built on “pond land”. This was noted as the third mosque in Sambhal to face such action in four months.
In June 2025, the Raza-e-Mustafa Mosque in Chandausi was removed after officials said it was built on municipal council land.
Earlier demolitions in Sambhal and neighbouring Rampur included two mosques, a shrine, and several shops “for allegedly encroaching on govt land”.
Video footage of Saturday’s demolition was shared by multiple news outlets, including ABP News, ANI, and Republic Bharat, showing a bulldozer at the site in Sambhal.
The district administration has stated that identification of other structures on government land is ongoing.
