A portion of the 185-year-old Noori Jama Masjid in Lalauli, Fatehpur, was demolished on Tuesday, December 10, by local authorities citing encroachment concerns related to the widening of the Banda-Bahraich Highway.
The district administration claims the demolished section was illegally constructed in the past two to three years and was obstructing road expansion.
The mosque’s management committee, however, refutes the claim, asserting that the Noori Masjid was established in 1839, while the road around it was constructed in 1956.
The committee has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging the demolition. The court is scheduled to hear the case on December 12.
The Public Works Department (PWD) issued a notice in August 2024 to 139 entities, including the mosque committee, shopkeepers, and homeowners, to remove encroachments.
While most complied, the mosque management allegedly failed to remove the encroached portion. “Only the part of the mosque constructed illegally in the last three years has been demolished, and the main structure remains intact,” said Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Avinash Tripathi.
Heavy police and Rapid Action Force deployment ensured law and order during the demolition, with the area around the mosque sealed off. “All shops within 200 meters were closed, and a 300-meter radius was secured as a precautionary measure,” said Inspector Vrindavan Rai.
The demolition, carried out with a bulldozer, proceeded without protests, according to officials. “The encroached portion was obstructing the road widening and drainage construction,” said ADM Tripathi, adding that satellite and historical images confirmed the disputed construction’s recent origin.
However, mosque management committee chief Mohammad Moin Khan, also known as Bablu Khan, criticized the action, stating, “The mosque predates the road by over a century, yet we are being penalized. We await the court’s decision.”
The move has drawn criticism from Islamic clerics, including Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi of Bareilly, who called the demolition “sheer injustice” and emphasized the mosque’s historical significance.
The district administration maintains that the action was lawful and essential for the highway expansion project. The case now rests with the Allahabad High Court, which will determine the legality of the demolition in its upcoming hearing.
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