Mosque sealed in Rajaji Tiger Reserve after Supreme Court directive
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Rishikesh: Authorities in Uttarakhand have sealed a decades-old mosque inside the Ramgarh Range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, acting on a Supreme Court order banning structures and human activity within the sanctuary.
Ramgarh Range Forest Officer Ajay Dhyani said the mosque, located on 0.0008 hectares of forest land in the Asha Rodi Forest Beat, was sealed on Tuesday in a joint operation with police. A warning board has also been put up outside the structure, cautioning that violators will face legal action under forest laws.
The Supreme Court order clearly prohibits any human activity inside the reserve, Dhyani explained.
He added that after the Forest Department raised objections to the mosque, some people had approached the apex court. However, the government strongly argued that the structure stood on protected forest land where construction and human presence are strictly barred.
The sealing was carried out in compliance with the court’s order issued on September 3.