Mosque cCommittee demolished newly built portion following administrative order
RAMPUR — A mosque committee in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district has demolished a newly constructed portion of a mosque after local authorities halted renovation and expansion work, stating that the required administrative permissions had not been obtained.
The incident has drawn attention to rules governing the repair, reconstruction and expansion of religious structures, with officials maintaining that any such work must be carried out only after obtaining approval from the relevant authorities.
The matter relates to Begamabad village near Ashokpur in the Milak area of Rampur district.
According to local residents, the mosque in question was nearly a century old and had fallen into a dilapidated condition. Worshippers said the structure had become weak and there were concerns that it could collapse, potentially causing a serious accident.
In view of the condition of the building, the mosque committee reportedly began renovation work at an estimated cost of around Rs 5 lakh.
However, shortly after work began, objections were raised by members of another community in the village.
Those objecting alleged that reconstruction and expansion work was being carried out without obtaining the necessary permission from the administration.
Local resident Mangli Hussain said the mosque had become structurally weak due to its age. “The mosque is around 100 years old and had become dilapidated. There was a danger that it could collapse,” he said.
He added that the mosque had also become too small for the growing number of worshippers in the village.
“Because of the increase in population, the existing structure was no longer sufficient. The plan was to rebuild it as a two-storey mosque,” Hussain said.
According to him, the work was halted after a complaint was submitted by members of the local Hindu community.
He said the mosque committee later removed the newly built portion following directions from the administration.
The dispute intensified after members of the Hindu community submitted a written complaint to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Milak.
The complaint sought action against the reconstruction work and requested that the project be stopped.
According to local reports, Manoj Goswami, one of the complainants, stated in his written submission that there was a traditional well near the mosque that had historically been associated with members of the Hindu community.
He alleged that people had begun throwing waste into the well and expressed concern about the expansion of the mosque.
The complaint further alleged that the mosque committee was attempting to include land associated with the well within the construction project.
It was also alleged that no permission had been obtained from the administration before starting reconstruction work.
Following receipt of the complaint, local authorities initiated an inquiry into the matter.
The SDM held discussions with members of the mosque committee and sought information regarding the construction work.
During the inquiry, officials reportedly found that the required approvals had not been obtained before the renovation and expansion work began.
After reviewing the matter, the administration directed that construction work be stopped immediately.
Officials also instructed the committee to remove the portion that had already been built.
Authorities reiterated that any construction, reconstruction or expansion of a religious structure must comply with existing regulations and receive the necessary permissions before work begins.
Faced with the administrative order and the possibility of legal action, the mosque committee decided to comply with the directions issued by officials.
Late on Thursday night, workers assisted by two hydra machines dismantled the under-construction roof and other newly built portions of the structure.
The demolition was carried out by the committee itself under the supervision of the administration.
By Friday morning, efforts were continuing to clear debris from the site.
Officials said the situation in the village remained peaceful and under control.
No reports of violence or law-and-order problems were reported during the operation.
Residents and officials noted that this is not the first time a mosque committee has voluntarily removed a structure following objections regarding permissions or land status.
In previous instances across Uttar Pradesh, mosque committees have dismantled portions of religious structures after authorities found that construction had taken place on disputed or government land, or without obtaining the required approvals.
In some cases, administrations have sought to recover demolition costs from managing committees when authorities themselves carried out removal operations.
Local observers say this has often prompted committees to undertake demolition work voluntarily rather than face additional legal and financial consequences.
Officials involved in the matter stressed that the issue concerns administrative permissions rather than the legal status of the mosque itself.
According to authorities, even where a religious structure is lawful and longstanding, any significant repair, expansion, reconstruction or redevelopment work must be carried out in accordance with municipal and administrative regulations.
They said permissions are required to ensure compliance with safety standards, land-use regulations and local planning rules.
Legal experts note that similar requirements generally apply to temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras and other religious structures across many parts of the country.
With the newly constructed portion now removed, residents are waiting to see whether the mosque committee will seek the necessary permissions to carry out future renovation work.
Members of the committee maintain that the original intention was to address safety concerns and accommodate a growing number of worshippers.
At the same time, authorities have indicated that any future work will need to follow the prescribed legal process.
For now, the matter appears to have been resolved administratively, with the construction halted and the disputed structure removed.
