Bahraich violence: UP govt serves demolition notices to 23 accused
The development was the first stage in initiating bulldozer action against the 23 people – 19 Muslims and four Hindus – people aware of the matter said
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh on Friday pasted notices on the houses of a man accused in the Bahraich violence case and 22 others, asking them to remove illegal construction within three days and warning of action.
The development was the first stage in initiating bulldozer action against the 23 people – 19 Muslims and four Hindus – people aware of the matter said.
Among those on whose houses the notices were pasted included Abdul Hameed, one of the five Muslim men accused of fomenting violence in Bahraich earlier this year that led to the killing of 22-year-old Gopal Mishra.
Block development officer (BDO), Mahsi, Hemant Kumar Yadav confirmed that the notices were pasted on 23 houses.
Heavy police force was deployed in the area and barricades installed, he said. “We have been asked to be prepared for action. Three days were given to the encroachers and the action would take place probably on Sunday or Monday as per the instruction,” he said.
The development comes roughly a month after the Supreme Court imposed a nationwide restraint on demolition activities, ruling that no demolition, including of those accused or convicted of crime, should occur without the court’s explicit permission, expressing concerns over the indiscriminate demolition actions and highlighting the need for judicial oversight. But the court said the restraining order will not apply to encroachments on public roads, footpaths, railway lines or water bodies.
Violence and arson rocked Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, a day after Mishra was shot dead and four people injured during Durga Puja idol immersion, amid allegations that the clashes were stoked by inflammatory songs during the procession in Muslim-dominated areas, stone-pelting from the houses in the locality, and a bid to take down a green flag.
Those arrested in the Bahraich case include Mohammad Faheem, Mohammad Sarfaraz and Abdul Hameed, who are named as accused in the FIR, and two others, Mohammad Taleem alias Sabloo and Mohammad Afzal.
On Thursday, two of the five men –– Sarfaraz and Talib, accused of fomenting communal tension during a Durga Puja immersion procession on Sunday and killing Mishra –– were injured in a police encounter when they were allegedly trying to flee.
The notice served by the office of executive engineer of public works department (PWD) Bahraich is dated October 17, 2024.
“According to the departmental standards, any construction work done on the main district road in the rural area within a distance of 60 feet from the middle point of the road without the permission of the department comes under the category of illegal construction,” the notice said.
“If the construction work has been done with the permission of the Bahraich district magistrate or prior departmental permission, then provide its original copy immediately, otherwise remove the illegal construction yourself within three days. Otherwise, action will be taken to remove the illegal construction with the help of police and district administration,” the notice added in Hindi.
Mishra’s family has demanded bulldozer action from the government for several days.
The notices caused alarm among people in the area.
Village head Afroz’s husband Afzal was among those arrested on Thursday and sent to judicial custody on Friday, along with Abdul Hameed and his two sons Faheem and Sarfaraz.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress decried the development.
“Whatever happened in Bahraich is a blot on the entire state. The BJP planted riots and violence in the festival. Now I am getting news that preparations are being done to demolish the house of the accused. It’s a one-sided action on the Muslims,” said Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei.
Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Manish Hindvi asked why the government couldn’t spot the illegal construction till now. “Why only now? Giving a communal angle to everything just to polarise voters is not a good thing. This not only weakens the Constitution but also the social fabric,” he added.