The District Administration and PWD’s joint team demolished the illegally constructed portion of Noori Jama Masjid in the village Lalauli. | ANI
Lucknow: Authorities on Tuesday carried out a seven-hour demolition drive at the 185-year-old Noori Masjid in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a highway widening project on the Banda-Bahraich route.
About The Action
The action, involving five bulldozers, began at 8 am and continued until 3 pm, during which a portion of the mosque was also razed. Heavy security was deployed, including forces from multiple police stations, DSP-level officers, and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) unit. The area around the mosque in Lalauli town was sealed off within a 500-meter radius, and around 25,000 residents were reportedly restricted to their homes during the operation.
Drone cameras monitored the area to ensure the situation remained under control. Following the demolition, the encroachment debris was cleared, allowing the BandaKanpur road to reopen after being closed for six hours.
The Public Works Department (PWD) issued a notice to the mosque committee on August 17, asking them to remove the alleged encroachment voluntarily. However, the committee sought a month’s time but failed to act within the stipulated period. The mosque committee then moved the High Court, asserting that Noori Masjid, built in 1839, had not encroached on public land. A hearing on the case scheduled for December 6 was postponed to December 13.
