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Saharanpur collectorate mosque demolished after court order, RAF deployed
A mosque inside Saharanpur Collectorate was demolished after a court order; Kairana MP Iqra Hasan was placed under house arrest.
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Demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex in Uttar Pradesh began early Saturday, days after a District Judge’s court upheld an order declaring the structure illegal. Authorities sealed all five gates and deployed heavy security, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), officials said.
JCB machines, dumpers and other demolition equipment had been brought into the Collectorate premises during the night. The administration began removing the mosque structure early Saturday morning amid tight security, with senior police and administrative officials present at the site.
Saharanpur Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Abhishek Singh said the City Magistrate’s court had found the structure illegally built on government land. He said the Mosque Committee’s appeal was dismissed, paving the way for demolition. Singh added that all preventive measures were in place to maintain law and order and ensure due legal procedure.
The entire Collectorate complex was placed under heightened security before the operation. All five entry gates were sealed and no outsiders were allowed inside. Police deployment was also increased in the surrounding areas, while additional personnel were brought in from other districts.
The police administration and Local Intelligence Unit had assessed the situation across the district ahead of the demolition. Following intelligence gathering and security assessments, police movement around the Collectorate had increased from late Friday evening.
Court order paves way for demolition
The action followed a September 2 order of the District Judge’s court, which upheld the earlier decision of the City Magistrate’s court concerning the mosque.
The dispute dates back to a complaint filed by Vikas Tyagi, former provincial convenor of the Bajrang Dal. Following the complaint, a petition under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act was filed before the City Magistrate’s court on March 24, 2025.
On July 16, 2026, the City Magistrate’s court declared the mosque illegal and imposed a penalty of ₹6.41 crore.
The mosque side challenged the order before the District Judge’s court on July 20, 2026. The case was heard on 17 dates before the court before the matter was decided on September 2.
The District Judge’s court subsequently upheld the City Magistrate’s order and dismissed the petition filed by the mosque side. Following the verdict, the administration proceeded with the demolition.
Heavy security deployment
Given the sensitivity of the matter, authorities made extensive security arrangements around the Collectorate. Besides local police personnel, additional forces were brought in from other districts, while RAF personnel were also deployed.
Senior administrative and police officials remained at the site as the demolition operation got underway. The sealing of all five gates effectively restricted public movement into the Collectorate complex during the operation.
Officials had also stepped up surveillance in the surrounding areas following intelligence inputs and an assessment of the prevailing law-and-order situation.
Kairana MP Iqra Hasan under house arrest
Meanwhile, Kairana lawmaker Iqra Hasan was reportedly placed under house arrest at her residence before she could travel to Saharanpur in connection with the demolition.
Hasan, who represents the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency, said a large police force arrived at her residence as she was preparing to leave for Saharanpur. She said she intended to meet officials over the demolition and raise the concerns of people in the area.
“To prevent me from going to Saharanpur last night, a large police force was deployed at my Kairana residence and I was placed under house arrest,” Hasan said.
Notably, Saharanpur district comes under the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency, which Hasan represents.
Questioning the action, the 32-year-old MP asked whether it had become a crime for an elected representative to meet government officials over issues concerning people in her constituency.
“In a democracy, public representatives are elected to raise the voice of the people. That voice cannot be suppressed by stopping me,” she said.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government had stopped Hasan from travelling to Saharanpur to prevent her from raising the issue of the mosque demolition.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also commented on the matter on Saturday. In a post on social media, he said maintaining communal harmony was the government’s greatest responsibility as well as its achievement.
“Maintaining harmony is the government’s greatest responsibility and also its achievement,” Yadav tweeted.
The reported house arrest of the Kairana MP came as Saharanpur authorities maintained heightened security around the Collectorate during the demolition operation.
The demolition follows a legal dispute that began with a complaint in 2025, proceeded through the City Magistrate’s court and was subsequently challenged before the District Judge’s court. With the latter upholding the City Magistrate’s order on September 2, the administration moved ahead with the removal of the structure on Saturday.
