Haldwani: Authorities did not wait for court orders, demolished Madrasa before hearing: Reports
Haldwani: In a controversial move, the Haldwani Municipal Corporation carried out the demolition of a mosque and a madrasa in the Banbhoolpura locality on February 8 as part of an anti-encroachment drive, leading to a violent clash between locals and police officials. The incident escalated with videos depicting arson and stone-pelting circulating widely on social media.
The Mariyam mosque and the Abdul Razzaq Zakariya madrasa, both established in 2002 in Banbhoolpura’s Company Bagh locality, became the epicenter of tension. These structures were under the care of Abdul Malik and his wife, Safia Malik.
Pankaj Upadhyay, Haldwani’s municipal commissioner, revealed that the mosque and madrasa were constructed on nazul land, designated as government land for public utilities. The municipal corporation had issued a demolition notice to Abdul Malik on January 30, asserting their legal grounds for the action.
Safia Malik, on February 6, approached the Uttarakhand High Court, contending that the land on which the religious structures stood had been leased out in 1937 and subsequently sold to her family in 1994. She claimed that a plea to renew the lease had been pending before the district administration since 2007. Seeking interim relief against the demolition, especially for the madrasa catering to impoverished children for "charitable purposes," Malik's case was heard by the court on February 8.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Nainital District Magistrate maintained that the anti-encroachment drive had legal backing through a court directive. However, a copy of the order passed by Justice Pankaj Purohit revealed that the bench merely noted the presence of the parties and scheduled the matter for February 14.
Contrary to official claims, the municipal corporation proceeded with the demolition without awaiting the court's next hearing. Pankaj Upadhyay clarified that although the demolition did not have explicit court approval, it was carried out within legal procedures. "Our action was carried under legal procedures," he stated, emphasizing that the demolition would not have occurred if Malik had obtained a stay from the court.
In response, Ahrar Baig, counsel for Malik, challenged the corporation's stance, alleging a lack of due process. Baig contended that his client was not served a notice and was not provided with the opportunity to present a case. "We were not served a notice or given time to present a case," he asserted, raising questions about the legitimacy of the municipal corporation's actions.
The clash resulted in five fatalities, as reported by Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar, with an additional 100 police personnel injured during the demolition drive, according to ANI.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
