Heavy police force was deployed at Nehta village, where Hindus form the majority of the population. (Representational Image)
Tension prevailed at Nehta village in Sambhal on Monday after police stopped the renovation of a room allegedly being used as a mosque and a madrasa. Claiming that it was being done without the permission of the district administration, police arrested 14 Muslims allegedly involved in the construction. Heavy police force was deployed at Nehta village, where Hindus form the majority of the population.
Chandausi police Circle Officer (CO) Omkar Yadav said that on Monday, they had received a complaint from a “member of the Hindu community” that a “mosque” was being renovated in Nehta without obtaining permission from the district administration. A team of police and district administration officials rushed to the spot and stopped the construction. The room is a single-storey structure.
Sub-Inspector Ramender Singh, in-charge of Narauli police outpost, said: “Following renovation of the structure, tension prevailed in the village. We arrested 14 local residents belonging to the Muslim community under CrPC Section 151 (preventive arrest). Those arrested were involved in the construction work. Later, they were produced in court, which sent them to judicial custody.”
When contacted, Chandausi Sub-Divisional Magistrate Om Veer Singh said: “It was a large room belonging to a private person, which was being initially used as madrasa. Later, some people started offering prayers at the same place. There was no permission from the government to use the space as a mosque, so, we have stopped the construction.”