Deoria: Following a local court order, the district administration in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday commenced the demolition of an illegally constructed ‘mazar’ (shrine) using bulldozers, officials said.
The structure, known as the Hazrat Shaheed Syed Abdul Gani Shah Baba shrine, was located on barren government land near an overbridge on the Deoria-Gorakhpur Road. The demolition drive was carried out under heavy police deployment to prevent any untoward incidents, officials added.
The action comes after a Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court declared the land as government property and ruled that the shrine was not legally recognised. The court directed the removal of the encroachment after hearing arguments from all parties concerned.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shruti Sharma said the demolition was conducted strictly in accordance with legal procedures and in a peaceful manner. “The situation in the area is completely normal,” she said.
The shrine management committee had earlier begun removing items from the premises. Committee president Rashid Khan said they were complying with the court order and extended full cooperation to the administration.
The case dates back to 2019, when local BJP leaders had lodged a complaint over alleged illegal construction on government land.
With PTI inputs