2 madrasas sealed as police start ‘verification’ drive after Khoda teen’s murder

Ghaziabad: Police and administration officials sealed two madrasas in Khoda Colony on Tuesday, days after the murder of a 17-year-old boy and the encounter killing of prime accused Asad.

On Monday, the administration had declared illegal the 19-year-old Asad’s house. Asad was accused of stabbing the minor boy, a friend with whom he had an altercation, to death.

The sealing was carried out as part of a three-day verification drive across Khoda, Loni and other parts of the district. Police said the exercise would cover properties linked to criminals, govt land and illegal structures. A large force, including local police, PAC and PAF personnel, remained deployed in Khoda on Tuesday to prevent any flare-up.

Police commissioner J Ravinder Goud, the district magistrate and other senior officials were present in Khoda when the administration sealed Rahmania Arabia Qasim-ul-Uloom and Sultan Alarfeen, both in Lokpriya Vihar. Officials said a third madrasa had also been identified as illegal.

At Rahmania Arabia Qasim-ul-Uloom, officials said the gate was not opened despite repeated attempts. After waiting, the team sealed the premises from outside. People present there alleged that 11 children were inside at the time. Police later evacuated them with the help of the local councillor.

Ilyas Saifi, chief secretary of the madrasa committee, said the institution had the required papers but was not given a chance to present them. He said the madrasa had been registered in 2000 and was on vacation. Only 11 students from outside the area were staying there.

District minority welfare officer Kailash Chandra Tiwari said a joint report dated June 1 by the Waqf inspector, the executive officer of Khoda Nagar Palika Parishad and the naib tehsildar found the madrasas were being run in an “unrecognised and illegal manner”.

“They are neither registered with this office nor has approval been obtained to run them. A valid society registration certificate was also not produced,” he said. According to Tiwari, NOCs from the fire and electrical safety departments were also missing, and that power supply to both madrasas was disconnected.

SDM (Sadar) Arun Dixit said both institutions had been asked to appear before the minority welfare department within a week, failing which legal action would follow. Goud said the structures were built illegally on govt land and were not registered with the minority department.

He added that over 1,000 criminals had been verified since the drive began on Monday, and that houses of criminals in the area would now be identified and sealed where violations were found.

The crackdown follows the killing of the 17-year-old boy on May 28, which police linked to a dispute over a motorcycle ride. He was allegedly cornered in Navneet Vihar and stabbed repeatedly near Sharma Dairy. An FIR was registered under BNS sections for murder, unlawful assembly, rioting, intentional insult, criminal intimidation and common intention.

On Saturday, police arrested Nawab (45), Asad’s father, along with Farhan (19) and Aatif (19). Hours later, Asad was killed in an encounter in Vasundhara. On Monday, the administration pasted a notice on Nawab’s locked house, saying it stood on govt land, and gave the family 15 days to remove the encroachment under Section 136 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006.