India’s UP Court Orders Demolition of Saharanpur Collectorate Mosque, Imposes Fine

IQNA – A court in Uttar Pradesh has ordered the demolition of a mosque located within the Saharanpur Collectorate premises, ruling that the 70-year-old structure was illegally constructed on government land.

News ID: 3498303

Date: 17 July 2026 - 17:05

The court also imposed a fine of ₹6.41 crore on the occupants, who now face eviction proceedings.

The order for demolition of the 315 sq metre structure was passed on Friday by the court of City Magistrate Kuldeep Singh.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Vikas Tyagi, a former provincial coordinator of the Bajrang Dal. Tyagi alleged that the mosque had been illegally constructed inside the District Magistrate’s office complex, a high-security zone that houses confidential government records and operations.

In his complaint, Tyagi further alleged that the premises were being misused for commercial purposes. He claimed that a post office was operating from within the mosque complex, and that three to four rooms had been rented out to outsiders, with the mosque committee collecting monthly rent.

Before filing the complaint, Tyagi reportedly met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow to raise the issue, after which the Chief Minister’s Office took notice.

After a prolonged hearing, Magistrate Singh ruled in favor of the complaint, citing concerns over security and confidentiality of the government office. The fine was calculated on the basis of the prevailing circle rate for encroachment on government land.

The order has triggered sharp political and community reactions.

Saharanpur Congress MP Imran Masood has termed the action unlawful. Masood alleged that the mosque was on private land, that no fair hearing was held and that even the mandatory 15-day notice period to respond was not given.

“No hearing, no notice,” Masood said, adding, “No one was given even 15 days to respond. What village map approval are they talking about? We didn’t resist on the ground only because we feared being shot. We’ll now fight it in court.”

District officials have defended the action as part of standard anti-encroachment procedure. Subodh Kumar, a district official, said the structure was built without clearance and that a notice was served, but construction continued. “We will act against all unauthorized structures,” he said.

The mosque committee has said it will challenge the order before a higher court. Local Muslim organizations have argued that the mosque predates Independence-era records and has been a place of regular prayer for Collectorate staff and visitors for over 70 years.

As of Wednesday, no demolition has been carried out, as the aggrieved party has 30 days to file an appeal before the District Judge or the Allahabad High Court.

Part of a Wider Pattern

The Saharanpur order is not isolated. Uttar Pradesh has seen a series of similar actions in recent months:

In February, part of the Madni Mosque in Kushinagar district was demolished for alleged encroachment. That action led to a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, which argued that the demolition violated the Supreme Court’s November 13, 2024 guidelines that restrain demolitions without prior show-cause notice and an opportunity for hearing.

Similar orders imposing heavy fines under Section 67 of the UP Revenue Code, 2006 have been reported from Sambhal and Sitapur, where fines ranging from Rs 6.94 crore to nearly Rs 7 crore were imposed on mosque caretakers for alleged encroachment on Gram Sabha land.

The Supreme Court had in November 2024 laid down pan-India guidelines stating that no demolition should be carried out without following due process, except for structures on public roads, footpaths, railway lines or water bodies.

Whether the mosque committee in Saharanpur will invoke those guidelines in its appeal remains to be seen.

Source: clarionindia.net