A lawyer and Hindu organisation leaders have alleged that changes were done to the structure of the Sambhal’s Baba Bahauddin Shah Mosque located in the Chaudhary Sarai Chowki area.
The complaint was filed by national convenor of Shri Kalki Sena and a lawyer, submitting a complaint to Sambhal District Magistrate Ankit Khandelwal. In the complaint it was alleged that the structure of the Baba Bahauddin Shah Mosque as claimed by him is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected property, had been altered.
Ahead of the complaint, the district magistrate handed the matter to the Sub- Divisional Magistrate (SDM) for further investigation into the matter. Tyagi had claimed that the mosque had been modified into a structure resembling a fort. Additionally, it has been claimed that these changes could pose a security concern.
According to him, earlier, people had gathered at the mosque during previous protests and communal tensions, including the agitation against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA).
As the matter came to light, District Magistrate Ankit Khandelwal said that there were two pieces of land in the cemetery registered under the name of Jama Masjid. However, the mosque itself was protected under the ASI.
As the controversy erupted, the district administration would examine if any unauthorised construction or occupation were done on the site or whether any alternation took place without permission and conclusion would be drawn only after an investigation is completed.
Tyagi further said that the mutawalli of the mosque has claimed that the mosque is Waqf property and stands on land association with Syed Baba Bahauddin Shah.
Meanwhile, the testimony of local muslims is that the mosque is several hundred years old. However the existing structure was rebuilt around 15- 20 years ago as the parts of the building turned dilapidated. The hindu residents on the other hand have said that even if the mosque is on Waqf property, it still can be protected under ASI regulations.
The petitioners contended that no repair, alteration or reconstruction of a protected monument can be undertaken without complying with the applicable Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) regulations and securing the permissions required under law.
The administration’s investigation will now determine whether any construction or structural alteration was carried out in violation of these requirements and whether government or protected land has been occupied or encroached upon without authorisation.
The matter has surfaced in a particularly sensitive context in Sambhal, where disputes concerning religious sites have previously escalated into tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities.
