Mosque built on pond land razed in Sitapur

Lucknow: A mosque allegedly built on govt land was demolished by the district administration in Sitapur on early Monday after a prior notice went unheeded.The demolition began in Nayagaon Behati village of Laharpur tehsil around 3am and was completed by 8am amid heavy security.Officials said Saiyad Hazrat Umar Farooq mosque was constructed 12 years ago on 1.5 bigha land which was officially recorded as a pond and cemetery in revenue records, making the construction unauthorised.The action followed an order by a tehsil court after a complaint was filed by the local gram sabha.Around 500 police personnel, including senior officers, were deployed to maintain law and order during the operation, they said.The dispute over the structure had been pending for a long time, with the gram sabha alleging that the mosque stood on land earmarked for a pond and a cemetery. A case in this regard was filed on Dec 18, 2025.On Jan 6, 2026, the tehsil court declared the construction illegal and ordered eviction, issuing a notice to the party concerned to vacate the premises within a stipulated period, officials said.After the deadline expired without compliance, the district administration proceeded with the demolition, they added.Authorities said a notice had also been issued under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, but the construction was not removed, prompting action.ADM Nitish Kumar said the demolition was carried out in the early hours to minimise traffic disruption and avoid inconvenience to the public since the mosque was located along a main road.He said the action was conducted in accordance with law.Maulana Abdul Rahman, associated with the mosque, declined to comment on the action, terming it a "political matter".