Sambhal mosque taken down, marriage hall demolished; 2nd crackdown in 4 months

The Sambhal district administration on Thursday demolished a large marriage hall and a mosque said to be built illegally on government land that was once a pond in Raya Buzurg village.

The marriage hall covered nearly 30,000 square feet, and both structures had stood for about a decade. An administrative survey recently identified them as encroachments. This marks the second demolition of a mosque in Sambhal within the past four months.

According to Sambhal superintendent of police K K Bishnoi, notices under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Land Revenue Code were issued on September 2, giving the owners 30 days to remove the illegal constructions. “Since no action was taken within the deadline, the district administration moved forward with the demolition drive,” Bishnoi was quoted by TOI as saying.

The marriage hall was brought down on Thursday with the help of several bulldozers, under tight security provided by the police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). Drone cameras monitored the entire operation. Villagers were also advised to remain indoors to prevent unrest.

While the marriage hall was demolished immediately, the mosque committee requested four additional days to dismantle the structure on their own. Officials confirmed that the committee has already started the process of removing the encroachment. “The mosque committee requested four days, and the process has started today,” said SDM Vikas Chandra.

The administration has stated that the mosque, marriage hall, and an adjoining madrassa were all constructed on land belonging to the gram sabha, including what was once a village pond.

According to the local residents, the marriage hall was built with donations from the community as the area lacked a proper wedding venue. They added that villagers had asked for alternative land in exchange but had not received any response from officials.

This is not the first such action in the district. In June, the Raza-e-Mustafa Masjid in Chandausi, also alleged to have been built on municipal land, was demolished along with 34 nearby houses. “All demolition of illegal structures is being carried out peacefully and in cooperation with local committees, TOI quoted district magistrate Rajinder Pensiya as saying.