Tehsildar Ambika Chaudhary said the action was carried out strictly in accordance with court orders.
NEW DELHI — A major demolition drive was carried out in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district on Friday, where authorities razed an allegedly illegally constructed madrasa along with several shops built on Gram Sabha land in Singhpur village under Payagpur tehsil.
The operation was conducted under tight security and followed directions issued by a court.
Officials from the revenue department, accompanied by police personnel, arrived at Ghisauna market in Singhpur village early in the day to remove what they described as encroachments on government-owned barren land.
According to district officials, a madrasa, several shops, and tin-shed structures had been operating for years on land allegedly belonging to the Gram Sabha near a local mosque. During the drive, bulldozers were used to demolish the madrasa and between eight and eleven shops, while some structures were dismantled manually under official supervision.
Tehsildar Ambika Chaudhary said the action was carried out strictly in accordance with court orders.
He stated that Gram Sabha land belongs to the public and cannot be occupied illegally. The objective of the drive, he added, was to reclaim public land for development and other community purposes.
Officials said the dispute reached the courts after residents allegedly complained about the occupation. Reports suggest that a villager and his son pursued legal remedies, claiming their concerns had not been addressed by local authorities.
Following a hearing, the court reportedly ordered the removal of the encroachments earlier this month, paving the way for the demolition drive.
Authorities said action against three shops was put on hold after occupants produced documents indicating that related appeals are pending before the ADM court.
Given the sensitivity of the operation, a large police contingent was deployed in and around the area to prevent any disturbance. Officials said the drive concluded without any untoward incident, and no law-and-order issues were reported.
The demolition comes amid a broader verification exercise in Bahraich district, which shares a border with Nepal. Officials claim that nearly 495 unrecognised madrasas have been identified during recent surveys, with several reportedly sealed or closed for failing to meet documentation requirements.
Authorities said efforts to identify and remove encroachments from government and Gram Sabha land are ongoing, and similar action may be taken elsewhere in the district.
Meanwhile, a separate controversy surfaced in Aligarh’s Tappal area, where residents alleged that a JCB machine was used to create a passage through cemetery land along Noorpur Road.
Locals claimed the digging damaged several earthen graves and a portion of the cemetery’s boundary wall. The incident triggered protests, particularly among people gathered for Friday prayers, leading to heightened tensions in the area.
