A 168-year-old mosque in Meerut was demolished late Friday night as part of the ongoing Rapid Rail and Metro corridor projects. The mosque was located on the construction path, which was being carried out by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The demolition took place under the supervision of police and administrative officials.
Initially, on Thursday, some individuals began dismantling parts of the mosque with hammers. Later, around 1:30 AM on Friday night, a bulldozer was used to complete the demolition. Green screens were set up around the site.
Authorities had disconnected the mosque’s electricity supply on February 20. By February 21, all movable items were removed from the premises, and by Thursday afternoon, demolition work had begun.
NCRTC officials had been consistently demanding the removal of the mosque. On Thursday night, Additional District Magistrate (City) Brijesh Kumar Singh, along with NCRTC officials, visited the site and engaged with local representatives before the demolition.
Haji Swaleheen, representing the mosque’s management, stated that they had legal documents dating back to 1857 proving the mosque’s existence.
He also noted that Friday prayers were not held at the mosque that day.
In a related development, the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) has issued a 15-day notice for the demolition of another mosque near the Ghosh Company intersection.
The GDA has declared it an illegal structure and warned that action will be taken if it is not removed voluntarily.