Team Clarion
NEW DLEHI — A Mosque, graveyard and the houses of the accused were served with the demolition notices after some Muslim men including minors were held over the allegation of sexual assault in Rajasthan’s Bewar district.
On 16 February, seven individuals and three minors were booked and then arrested for the sexual assault and blackmailing of the girls from another community in Vijay Nagar town. Following the police actions, Hindutva groups held protests demanding the bulldozer actions while terming it as “Love Jihad”. On 21 February, the saffron outfits gave a call for bandh and held massive demonstration in the town.
The individuals who were arrested in the sexual assault case were also assaulted by advocates when they were being presented in the Amer court.
Three days after the arrest, a notice was also issued on 20 February to the Jama Masjid in Rajnagar area of the town, asking it to provide documents pertaining to proof of ownership of the mosque within a period of three days.
“Otherwise, after the stipulated time period, action will be taken under the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009, for which you yourself will be responsible,” the notice was quoted by The Wire as saying.
According to The Wire, a notice has also been sent to a local graveyard along with the mosque.
“We have sent notices to the families of the accused, the Jama Masjid and a local graveyard, asking them to furnish proof of ownership to verify whether they are built illegally. Any decision about potential demolition of encroachment will be taken after verifying the documents,” said Pratap Singh, executive officer (EO) of the Vijay Nagar Municipality.
Singh added that a local cafe, where the accused allegedly met the victims was also seized by the municipality and encroachments around it were removed.
The Vijay Nagar municipality also issued notices to the families of the 10 accused. The notices issued over February 20 and 21 asked the families to submit proof of ownership of the houses where they resided.
If the documents are not presented, the municipality will conduct the action of removing illegal constructions/encroachments, and all the expenses would be realised from the families of the accused, said the notices.
Local Muslims feel targeted after the administration started demolition notices to houses and religious places.
“We fully cooperated with the police and presented our brother before the officials. Whether he is innocent or guilty is to be decided by the law and court. But it is unfair that our houses are being targeted. We have all the requisite documents and are submitting them before the authorities. We fear that demolition would be conducted by unfairly targeting us. We have not committed any crime,” the brother of one of the accused who works as a mechanic.
Akhatyar Ali, a government school teacher and a member of the local Muslim community in Vijay Nagar said “We have never seen such a disruption of communal harmony in Vijay Nagar. No member of the Muslim community is standing with the accused and we have condemned the crime. But the administration is under pressure from Hindutva groups and because of that reason, the notices are being issued. What purpose is being served by asking a 100-year-old mosque about proof of its ownership? Deliberately a religious colour is being given to the crime”.
Prominent human rights group People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) have condemned the bulldozer action demanding its immediate halt.
“The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) demands the immediate halt of the potential bulldozer action in the town of Vijayanagar, Beawar district. Notably, the Municipality has issued 10 notices related to encroachment to the accused and some of their family members, as well as to the mosque, soon after the alleged blackmail incident,” said PUCL national president Kavita Srivastava in a statement.
“The sudden issuance of these notices raises serious questions about the intentions of the administration. There is a fear of bulldozers being used, despite the Supreme Court’s clear directives in its order dated November 13, 2024,” Srivastava added.
