Mosque encroachments demolished in central India following court order, illegal expansions cleared by authorities
by Bhagyashree BarmanIn central India’s Chhattisgarh, authorities carried out a demolition drive, targeting illegal encroachments around a mosque managed by the Karbala Committee.
The incident took place in Bhilai city of Durg district on September 9.
Visuals showed the demolition shows a large yellow bulldozer tearing down the mosque’s boundary wall and adjacent illegal structures. Dust rises as the machine crashes into the five shops and marriage halls that were built unlawfully.
According to reports, the Municipal Corporation demolished structures that had been unlawfully built, including shops, a marriage hall, and shrines, after the High Court ordered the removal of illegal expansions. The mosque, located near Bhilai’s zone office, had exceeded its allotted area, which was initially granted for religious purposes, encroaching on municipal land.
The action followed a legal notice sent to the Karbala Committee, which had refused to remove the encroachments voluntarily. On Monday, a team from the Municipal Corporation arrived with bulldozers and began demolishing the boundary wall, five shops, a marriage hall, and a welcome gate that had been built on unauthorized land. The total encroached area spanned two and a half acres, far exceeding the 800 square feet originally granted by the government in 1984.
Despite opposition from the Karbala Committee, which claimed they had occupied the land since 1957, the demolition proceeded as per the court’s ruling. The illegal structures were said to have been generating rental income for the committee, further raising concerns about the misuse of public land.
The demolition has sparked a debate in the local community, with some supporting the removal of illegal constructions and others criticizing the timing and execution of the action.