20-ft-deep well found under razed mosque in Saharanpur, ASI to examine site

BULANDSHAHR: A day after a 70-year-old mosque inside Saharanpur collectorate premises was demolished by the district administration for allegedly encroaching upon govt land after the masjid’s appeal was rejected by the district judge’s court, a nearly 20-foot-deep well was found beneath the rubble on Sunday, raising questions about the structure’s antecedents.The discovery was made when workers, while clearing the rubble, came across a concrete slab. The slab, officials said, was unusually strong. A Pokland machine was brought in to break it, but failed to make a significant impact. Workers then used a cutter, following which a brick-lined well was found.After the discovery, officials said that the well will be examined by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to establish its antiquity and historical relevance.According to officials, the well is around 1.5m in diameter and nearly 20-ft-deep. Its exact age, purpose and history remain unclear, they said. Police personnel were deployed at the collectorate premises soon after the news of the discovery spread across the district.Cautioning against drawing any conclusion about the well’s origin before an expert report, Sadar SDM Subodh Kumar said, “It will be examined by ASI. Only once it’s complete, we can say how old it is...”The demolition came a year after Bajrang Dal member Vikas Tyagi raised objections to the alleged “illegal” presence of the mosque on govt land. The dispute subsequently went through the courts. On July 17, the city magistrate’s court had declared the structure an “illegal encroachment on govt land” and also ordered its occupants to pay Rs 6.4 crore in compensation.The mosque side challenged the order, but its appeal was rejected by the district judge’s court on Friday after both sides were heard and the evidence was examined.The district administration thereafter proceeded with the demolition early on Saturday.Those associated with the mosque alleged that they were not given an opportunity to approach the high court before the demolition. Advocate Babar Wasim said the mosque committee would challenge the “reckless” action before the HC.Meanwhile, the discovery of the well has now added another layer to the dispute, with the complainant claiming that it could point to an older religious structure at the site. Tyagi said: “There could have been an earlier place of worship here. Now that a well has been found, our suspicion has been strengthened... This well could be several hundred years old.”Saharanpur MP Imran Masood, meanwhile, alleged that the administration acted in “haste”. “What has happened is extremely unfortunate for the Constitution and the state’s judicial system. First, the order under which the action was taken was not a demolition order. It was only an eviction order and 22 days were still left. Yet the entire place was cleared at one go. SC and HC have repeatedly spoken about giving time before any demolition work.”You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Meerut | Silver Rate in Meerut | Bank Holidays in Meerut | Public Holidays in Meerut | Meerut AQI | Weather in Meerut | Petrol Price in Meerut | Diesel Price in Meerut | CNG Price in Meerut | LPG Price in MeerutStay updated with the latest Meerut news. Download the TOI App.