By Team Clarion
SAMBHAL — The Sambhal district administration demolished a mazar and removed crops from land near Datavali village in the Hayatnagar police station area, saying the property had been acquired for the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and was under illegal occupation.
The action was carried out on Saturday amid police security after the administration identified the land as government property acquired for the PAC. The demolition of the mazar and the removal of crops from part of the land left local residents concerned.
Sambhal tehsildar Dhirendra Singh said the land had been purchased for the PAC and alleged that local people had occupied it. He said a mazar had also been built on the property.
According to the administration’s account, cultivation was being carried out on part of the land in addition to the alleged occupation. A JCB was used to remove the crops during the operation.
Officials also said that an old peepal tree had previously stood on the land. The administration alleged that some local people had cut down the tree and subsequently built the mazar at the site.
The administration treated the construction as an unauthorised occupation of government land and proceeded with the demolition after reaching the site under police protection.
The action comes amid a series of administrative operations in Sambhal concerning Muslim religious and community sites. In recent months, administrative action involving mosques, madrasas, mazars and an Eidgah in the district has attracted attention.
The latest operation was carried out, with officials saying that the land acquired for the PAC had been cleared of the alleged occupation and would remain available for the purpose for which it was acquired.
There has been no response from the mazar’s management, the affected farmers or other local residents disputing the administration’s account.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net.
