Police lathicharge as villagers protest demolition of mazar on encroached land

Police here used lathicharge on Monday to disperse a group of villagers protesting the demolition of a mazar allegedly built on an encroached piece of government land, officials said.

Some Muslim residents of villages adjoining Bahadrabad created a ruckus when the demolition of the mazar near the Gangnahar track began, Sub Divisional Magistrate Puran Singh Rana said.

When efforts to convince them proved in vain, police used lathicharge to disperse the mob and execute the demolition, he said.

''There are strict orders both from the court and the administration to demolish all sorts of structures built illegally on encroached government land,'' he said. Moreover, the shrine built near Sanskrit University was causing inconvenience to commuters, he said.