The district administration demolished 10 illegal shrines built on government land along the roadside in the Kotwali Dehat area of Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.
The action was carried out using bulldozers in the presence of senior administrative officials and under heavy security arrangements on Monday.
According to officials, the shrines had been constructed by encroaching on government land near the Maharaja Suheldev Medical College campus and opposite it, under the name of Astana Rasool Shah. Over time, several more shrines were built one after another on the same land.
City Magistrate Rajesh Kumar said that large-scale encroachment had taken place between the road and the medical college, with dozens of shrines constructed illegally. He added that the Muslim side had been repeatedly warned through notices and official correspondence to remove the encroachments, but no action was taken despite multiple warnings.
Following the failure to comply with the administration’s directives, the authorities proceeded with the demolition drive. The City Magistrate stated that approximately 2,000 square feet of government land had been illegally occupied for the construction of these shrines.
He further informed that action is also being taken against those responsible for the encroachment, and the demolition was conducted peacefully amid tight security to maintain law and order.
Officials also noted that an appeal had been filed earlier before the Devipatan Division Commissioner in this matter. After a hearing, an order was passed in 2019 stating that, except for one dargah registered with the Waqf Board, all other structures were illegal and should be removed. However, no steps were taken by the parties concerned to comply with the order, leading to the current administrative action.