The district administration has issued notices to 22 houses and shops, giving 15 days to reply; residents and Muslim groups allege selective action and pressure
SAMBHAL — Tension has spread across Mohalla Kot in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal after the district administration issued notices to 22 houses and shops, warning of demolition over alleged illegal construction on graveyard land near the historic Shahi Jama Masjid. A total of 48 people, most of them Muslim residents and small traders, have been asked to respond within 15 days or face bulldozer action.
The notices were issued on Friday, days after a revenue team carried out a survey and measurement of land recorded as a graveyard. Officials later declared that 20 houses and shops were allegedly built on graveyard land, prompting formal notices to occupants.
The move has triggered fear and anger among local Muslims, who say families have lived there for decades and accuse the administration of acting in haste. “We are being treated like criminals on our own land. Our elders are buried here, and our homes have existed for years,” said Asim Khan, one of the notice recipients.
According to the notice, failure to submit a reply within the given time will lead to “strict action”, including demolition. Residents say the wording itself has caused panic. “People are not sleeping at night. Women and children are scared that bulldozers will arrive without warning,” said a local shopkeeper who requested anonymity.
The issue has gained further sensitivity after reports that some Hindu organisations expressed anger over photographs of Payal and Mannara of the entertainment industry, who recently visited Muslim religious sites in the area. Muslim leaders allege that such reactions have added pressure on the administration and created an atmosphere where Muslims feel singled out.
“This is not just about land measurement. It feels like our community is being pushed into a corner,” said Mohammad Salman, a resident of Mohalla Kot. “If this was only a technical matter, why the talk of bulldozers before hearing us properly?”
Earlier, the Allahabad High Court refused to stay the measurement and survey of the graveyard land in village Kot (Andar Changi), Sambhal district. A division bench of Justices Rajiv Mishra and Satyaveer Singh said the petitioners could place their objections before the revenue team during the process.
The petitions were filed by 17 individuals, including Asim Khan, who challenged a December 2025 order by the Sambhal Sub-Divisional Magistrate directing the survey of Khata No. 2/32. The petitioners said the land is recorded as a graveyard and argued that any action would go against earlier Supreme Court directions on such properties.
Counsel for the state told the court that the land is already registered as a graveyard in government records and that the administration was only measuring and marking boundaries. “No one’s rights are being taken away. This is only a technical exercise,” the Chief Standing Counsel submitted.
However, the petitioners’ lawyer alleged that the exercise was being used to divide the graveyard by building a road and to remove a particular community. After hearing both sides, the court observed that the order appeared limited to measurement and demarcation, and therefore declined to halt the process.
On the ground, residents question why action is being discussed only around Muslim homes near the Jama Masjid. “If the land is sensitive, why were permissions allowed for so long? Why is action happening now, and only here?” asked social activist Shahnawaz Alam.
Local Muslim leaders have demanded transparency and restraint. “We respect the law and the courts. All we ask is fairness and time,” said Maulana Rashid, a cleric associated with the Jama Masjid. “Bulldozer threats before proper hearings damage trust.”
As the 15-day deadline begins, the area remains tense. Many residents are preparing documents, while others fear that paperwork will not save their homes. “We believe in justice,” said Asim Khan. “But justice should not come with fear and bulldozers hanging over our heads.”
