Sambhal court declares mosque illegal, orders eviction over land row
A tehsildar court in Sambhal declared a mosque illegal for being built on graveyard land, ordered eviction, and said further action will depend on the district magistrate’s decision after the mosque committee filed an appeal
Sambhal (UP): A tehsildar court has declared illegal a mosque constructed on graveyard land in a village here, officials said on Friday. A revenue team led by Tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar Singh visited Kaserua village under Nakhasa police station area and demarcated the land following complaints by villagers.
According to officials, the tehsildar court has already passed eviction orders against the mosque committee, which has filed an appeal before the district magistrate’s court. “The court has passed an eviction order. The committee has filed an appeal before the district magistrate, and further action will be taken after the appellate court’s decision,” Singh said.
The tehsildar said the mosque was constructed on approximately 1,100-1,200 square metres of graveyard land. “Constructing a mosque on graveyard land is not only illegal but also inappropriate from a religious perspective,” he said.
Officials said according to revenue records, the plot where the mosque is situated is designated as graveyard land. Singh told reporters that villagers approached the district magistrate, claimed the village lacked graveyard land, and sought its protection.
“During record verification, it was found that the graveyard land had been encroached upon and a mosque constructed on it. Action under Section 67 was initiated in this regard,” he said.
Singh said the mosque committee participated in the proceedings but failed to produce evidence proving the structure was built on its own land.
He said notices have been issued to those who have built houses on village community land. “If they remove the encroachments voluntarily, it will be better; otherwise, further action will be taken and penalties imposed,” he said.
