Family alleges harassment, unjust arrest and accuse administration of forced Demolition of home adjacent to “rediscovered” temple.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — In the town of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim family finds itself at the centre of a growing controversy involving a recently “rediscovered” temple and alleged administrative pressure to vacate their home. The family claims they are being forced to demolish their house to make way for Hindu devotees to perform rituals at the Shri Kartik Mahadev Temple, also known as the Bhasma Shankar Temple, which the district administration claims to have uncovered in December 2023.
The temple, located in the Muslim-majority Khaggo Sarai neighbourhood, has become a flashpoint in the community. According to the administration, the temple had been closed for decades after the Hindu population migrated from the area following riots in 1978. However, locals dispute this narrative, stating that the temple has always been there but was rarely used due to the absence of worshippers.
Mohammad Mateen, a 40-year-old driver, and his family have lived in their home adjacent to the temple since 2002. The house, built on land Mateen purchased with his own earnings, is now under threat of demolition. The administration claims the house obstructs the “pari karma” (circumambulation) of the temple.
“After the temple was found, the district administration started pressuring us,” said Uzma Parveen, Mateen’s wife. “First, they told us to demolish the balcony of our house, saying it was on temple land. We did that out of fear, but they didn’t stop there. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) told us to demolish the entire house. When we refused, they arrested my husband.”
Mateen was arrested on January 16 on charges of disturbing peace and preventing devotees from worshipping at the temple. He was granted bail on January 24, but the family remains fearful. “The police arrested my husband to intimidate us into demolishing our home,” Uzma said, tears streaming down her face. “We have no other property. If they take this house, where will we go?”
The family’s ordeal began in December when the administration announced the “discovery” of the temple during an anti-encroachment drive. Hindutva organisations initially brought devotees to the site, but local residents say the fervour has since waned. A priest has been appointed to manage the temple, but worship remains limited.
Uzma insists her family has never interfered with the temple. “We have lived here peacefully for years. We have never damaged the temple or caused any trouble,” she said. She also provided documents proving the land was legally purchased and that the house is mortgaged with Punjab National Bank.
Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra, however, defended the administration’s actions. “The accused prevented devotees from entering the temple and harassed them,” she said. When asked about allegations of pressuring the family to demolish their home, Mishra did not respond.
The local police station’s SHO confirmed Mateen’s arrest but denied knowledge of any threats to demolish the house. “My officers have not issued such threats,” he said.
The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who see it as part of a broader pattern of targeting Muslims in the area. Sambhal has been tense since November 2023, when violence erupted during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Five people were killed, and a police post was hastily constructed near the mosque.
Uzma has written to the Judicial Inquiry Commission investigating the Sambhal violence, pleading for an impartial probe into her family’s case. “We are poor people. My husband is a driver. This house is all we have,” she wrote.
As the dispute continues, the Mateen family remains in limbo, caught between their right to their home and the administration’s claims over the temple. For now, they wait, hoping for justice but fearing the worst.
“We just want to live in peace,” Uzma said. “Is that too much to ask?”
