BAREILLY: Following the recent clashes, the district administration on Saturday carried out a demolition drive against illegal constructions in several parts of Bareilly.On Saturday morning, Raja Palace, a marriage hall owned by Dr Nafees Ahmed in the Jakhira area, was demolished by Bareilly Development Authority teams in the presence of a heavy police force.
Officials said the action was taken due to violations of building norms. The nameplate at the site identified the property owner as Mutawalli Shoaib Beg, son of the late Athar Beg, a former PCS officer. In Faik Enclave, the administration sealed a house belonging to Farhat, where Maulana Tauqeer Raza was allegedly sheltered during the recent violence.Separately, the Municipal Corporation carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the Sailani area, removing unauthorized extensions of shops and houses. The Municipal Commissioner was present during the operation.The action comes after clashes erupted on 26 September during a gathering of more than 2,000 people outside a mosque, which turned violent with allegedly stone-pelting incidents and injuries to police personnel.Bareilly officials had earlier identified eight allegedly illegal properties linked to associates of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief cleric for potential demolition. Teams from the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) and district administration inspected areas including Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and the old city, finding several structures built without approved maps, some encroaching on government and ceiling land.“Illegal constructions on government and ceiling land will not be spared. Strict action will be taken as per rules,” said BDA Vice-Chairman Dr Manikandan A.The Bareilly Municipal Corporation has also marked several shops, including those above Pahalwan Sahab Dargah, for demolition. Authorities are also closely monitoring Tauqeer Raza’s network of associates and financiers, suspected of funding illegal activities under the guise of community programmes.
