Meerut mosque embroiled in property dispute as police issue eviction notice over encroachment claims

Meerut: A tense property dispute has unfolded in Meerut over a local mosque located inside the Kharkhoda Police Station premises, which authorities claim was built illegally on police land. Conversely, the mosque's management firmly maintains that the structure stands on official Waqf property.

The issue surfaced following a recent land demarcation and revenue department survey, which concluded that the Jama Masjid—locally referred to as the "Thane Wali Masjid"—is encroaching on police property.

Revenue records indicate that the pre-Independence era police station, situated on the Meerut-Bulandshahr road, has held title to the 6,450 square meters of land under Khasra number 1217 for many decades. Officials allege that the mosque was erected on a portion of this plot at a later date.

In response to the survey, law enforcement served a formal seven-day notice to the mosque's imam, Abdul Ghaffar, instructing him to provide valid ownership documents and dismantle the unauthorized structure.

Senior police officials, including Kithore Circle Officer Pramod Kumar Singh and Station House Officer Rajpal Singh, confirmed that the notice was delivered over the weekend and that no official response had been received by Sunday evening. Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijeet Kumar noted that while the mosque has stood for numerous years, the boundary discrepancy was only realized during the recent land survey.

The mosque management has completely dismissed the police department's claims. Imam Abdul Ghaffar asserted that the property was officially registered under the Waqf Board back in 1985 and that they possess clear documentary evidence to prove it. He further stated that these relevant ownership papers have already been turned over to the police for review.

With both the local administration and the mosque authorities holding contradictory stances, future legal steps will rely heavily on a thorough verification of historical revenue records and the submitted paperwork.