In a state which is headed to polls likely in February-March next year, just over a year of legal battle led to the razing of a mosque claimed to be 150 years old inside the Saharanpur collectorate. Officials carried out the demolition on September 5. In a 26-page judgment, a copy of which Hindustan Times reviewed, District Judge Satendra Kumar affirmed the eviction order issued by the city magistrate’s court under the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972, on July 16.
The court said the mosque failed to produce evidence regarding ownership and lawful possession of the property.
The operation was carried out under heavy police deployment, including five companies of armed police and central anti-riot forces. The administration maintained it was enforcing the eviction order, while the mosque management argues eviction cannot automatically authorise demolition. Proceedings were subsequently initiated against Abdul Hamid, described in the case as manager and maulvi of the mosque, for allegedly occupying government property without authority. The government’s case was that the building had originally been built as a rest house for litigants, and was later converted into a religious structure without permission, with rooms rented out and prayers offered there. Yadav cautioned against definitive conclusions from the preliminary inspection alone, saying the structure remains partly filled with debris and further work would depend on the district administration’s decision. He noted the features appeared associated with the medieval period in the north and central Ganga valley, and that Saharanpur has a long history of settlement. The demolition has triggered a strong political reaction.
The demolition followed the district court’s verdict, which on September 2 dismissed an appeal filed by the mosque’s management committee against the city magistrate’s July order directing eviction. Officials said the demolition began around 7 am, though opposition leaders alleged it started earlier, around 5 am. The September 2 judgment upheld eviction, it did not expressly order demolition of the structure. The dispute traces back to a complaint filed by Bajrang Dal activist Vikas Tyagi in March 2025, alleging that government land inside the collectorate was being illegally occupied. The city magistrate’s order had imposed a penalty of roughly rs 6.41 crore on the occupants, along with a 30-day notice to vacate. Congress MP from Saharanpur Imran Masood claimed the mosque was 115 years old and that the demolition was carried out even after ownership documents were handed over to the administration.
A post office functioning from a portion of the premises was also removed, its belongings shifted elsewhere; officials said the post office had been paying rent for the space. City magistrate Kuldeep Singh said his July order had directed “bedakhali,” or removal from the premises, and the building was consequently removed. Manoj Kumar Yadav, assistant archaeological officer, said the structure appeared at first sight to be an old well, with construction features, including Lakhori bricks and lime-surki, suggesting it could date back roughly two to two-and-a-half centuries. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav questioned the need to raze the mosque within 12 hours when the high court and Supreme Court “were there to intervene,” calling it “a well-planned strategy and conspiracy. Writing on X, he alleged the “communal BJP government” and “communal” officials were involved and said he would write to the President of India seeking strict action against what he called a “malicious criminal act. Deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak said, “We will maintain law and order in Uttar Pradesh.
Since the matter is before the court, it would not be appropriate to comment on it.”
