UP land survey finds 10 houses, mazar on disputed Arya Samaj land; eviction likely

A land survey in UP's Sambhal found more than 10 houses and a mazar on a plot claimed by the Arya Samaj temple. The findings have set up possible eviction action as records and rival claims come under scrutiny. 10 houses, mazar found on disputed Arya Samaj temple land in UP's Sambhal (Photos: ITG)A disputed plot of land claimed by an Arya Samaj temple in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal has become the centre of a fresh encroachment controversy, with the administration finding more than 10 houses and a mazar on the land during a survey.The land, located in the Sher Khan Sarai area, comprises around 3,350 square metres (roughly five bighas) across Gata numbers 103, 106 and 107. The administration has estimated the value of the land at around Rs 50 crore.The dispute over the property had been pending before the Sambhal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court for nearly a year after the Arya Samaj temple approached the administration with a complaint.According to the temple's claim, the land was recorded in its name during the 1960 consolidation proceedings. SDM COURT ORDERS CHANGES IN REVENUE RECORDSFollowing the hearing, the SDM directed a survey of the disputed land. The tehsildar subsequently submitted a report stating that the land belonged to the Arya Samaj temple.Based on the findings, the administration ordered the removal of the names of several people recorded in the revenue records and directed that the land be recorded in the names of the Arya Samaj temple and Gram Samaj. Following the order, Tehsildar Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Naib Tehsildar Shubham Pratap Singh and a team of lekhpals reached the site and carried out a measurement of the land.During the exercise, officials found more than 10 houses and a mazar/ziyarat constructed on the land identified as belonging to the Arya Samaj temple.ADMINISTRATION WARNS OF EVICTIONTehsildar Dhirendra Pratap Singh said people occupying the land had been asked to remove the constructions themselves.He said that if the occupants failed to comply, the administration would initiate eviction proceedings and remove the houses and mazar in accordance with the law.The administration has also prepared a report on the constructions found during the survey. Further proceedings are expected to be initiated before the tehsildar court.LOCAL MAULANA QUESTIONS ADMINISTRATION'S CLAIMMeanwhile, local cleric Maulana Musharraf Hussain has disputed the administration's position on the mazar. He claimed that the mazar was 100 to 150 years old, saying his elders had told him that it had existed at the site for generations.The maulana also questioned the claim that the land belonged to the Arya Samaj temple. According to him, the land had been purchased and a dargah was subsequently established there.The administration's next step will depend on the revenue records, the SDM court's order and proceedings before the competent revenue authority.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 16:23 IST