A 20-ft-deep well found under demolished mosque in Saharanpur.
Bulandshahr: A day after a 70-year-old mosque inside Saharanpur collectorate premises was demolished by the district administration for allegedly encroaching upon govt land after the masjid’s appeal was rejected by the district judge’s court, a nearly 20-foot-deep well was found beneath the rubble on Sunday, raising questions about the structure’s antecedents. The well is around 1.5m in diameter and nearly 20-ft-deep, according to officials.
Its exact age, purpose and history remain unclear, they said. Police personnel were deployed at the collectorate premises soon after the news of the discovery spread across the district.
The demolition came a year after Bajrang Dal member Vikas Tyagi raised objections to the alleged “illegal” presence of the mosque on govt land. On July 17, the city magistrate’s court had declared the structure an “illegal encroachment on govt land” and also ordered its occupants to pay Rs 6.4 crore in compensation. Advocate Babar Wasim said the mosque committee would challenge the “reckless” action before the HC.
The dispute subsequently went through the courts.
Those associated with the mosque alleged that they were not given an opportunity to approach the high court before the demolition. The mosque side challenged the order, but its appeal was rejected by the district judge’s court on Friday after both sides were heard and the evidence was examined.