Centuries-old Masjid demolished in Telangana: JCB driver arrested, investigation underway

A centuries-old mosque, identified as the Jagirdar Masjid, was razed down in Chilkur village, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana sparking outrage and leading to the arrest of the JCB driver involved in the demolition.

According to Ch. Srinivas, DCP Rajendranagar zone, the mosque, dating back to the Qutb Shahi era, was demolished by a JCB earthmover. The driver has been arrested, and the JCB seized. Special teams are hunting for others involved in the incident. A complaint was lodged at the Moinabad police station, prompting immediate police action.

The demolition was discovered when local Muslim residents noticed the mosque’s absence and alerted the community. Key leaders and officials, including Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) party leader Amjedullah Khan, All India Majlis-E-Ittehad Ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLC Mirza Rahmath Baig, and Telangana State Waqf Board chairman Azmathullah Hussaini, visited the site. They demanded stringent action against the perpetrators.

Principal Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department Tafseer Iqbal, along with other officials, inspected the location. He confirmed that the Waqf Board had documented the mosque in their records.

The Moinabad police have registered a case under multiple sections, including 329(3), 329, 324(4)(5), 298, 299, 196, 300 BNS r/w 3(5) BNS, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984.

The complaint, filed by Layeekhunnisa, a resident of Chilkur village, detailed that the mosque was situated in survey numbers 133 and 134. Prasad, who owns adjacent land, had been conducting cleaning work in the area and is alleged to have demolished the mosque with his henchmen. The complainant suggests that the demolition aimed to incite communal enmity and convert the land into plots for sale.

The Telangana State Waqf Board has initiated efforts to reconstruct the mosque, starting with drilling a bore well and erecting a temporary shed. Prayers continue at the site uninterrupted. The board has said that a permanent structure will be built soon, and they are coordinating with the police to ensure justice is served.

A heavy police presence has been deployed in the area to maintain peace and prevent further escalation of tensions. 

Sources indicate that Prasad, with support from local leaders, intended to convert the land into residential plots for sale, motivating the demolition of the mosque.