In Bareilly, the Raza Palace banquet hall, owned by Dr Nafees, who is accused of a recent disturbance, was demolished over two days by the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA). The BDA carried out an extensive bulldozer operation that lasted for about 11 hours using six bulldozers. More than 50 workers were employed to break the roofs, stairs, and pillars with hammers and machinery. Around 70% of the structure was demolished on the first day, and the remaining 30% was taken down on the second day. To maintain law and order during the demolition, more than 300 security personnel, police officers, and administrative officials were deployed at the site. The total cost of this operation is estimated to run into several lakhs of rupees, which the BDA may recover from the accused.
Banquet Hall Built on Residential Land
The Raza Palace banquet hall, associated with Nafees, who is close to Maulana Tauqir Raza, was completely destroyed on Sunday using two BDA bulldozers. According to BDA officials, the banquet hall was located in the Zakheera neighbourhood and constructed on residential land. However, it was being used for commercial purposes as a banquet hall. Most of the demolition work was completed on Saturday.
Legal Notice Issued in 2024
The notice regarding the illegal construction was issued in 2024. Dipak Kumar, Joint Secretary of the BDA, stated that the banquet hall covered an area of approximately 600 square meters and did not have any approved building plan. According to regulations, commercial activities cannot be conducted on residential building plans. Based on this violation, the first notice was issued in 2024, and on August 17, 2024, a demolition order was issued. Despite this, the operators neither filed an appeal nor removed the illegal construction. Ultimately, the BDA carried out the demolition using bulldozers. During the operation, Additional District Magistrates (ADMs), the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), police personnel from multiple districts, and magistrates were present to monitor the situation. The district administration continuously supervised the entire process to ensure smooth execution.
Also Read: Bareilly Violence: Crackdown on Tauqeer Raza’s Relatives, CM Yogi’s Bulldozer in Action Again
Residents Maintain Distance During Demolition
In Zakheera, the bulldozer operation continued on Sunday as well. Due to the heavy police presence, most local residents stayed inside their homes. Only those with essential tasks ventured outside. When the JCB machinery roared to life, some residents climbed onto rooftops to watch the demolition, but the police moved them back to maintain safety. Local residents commented that the issue involved “important people” and that ordinary citizens could not intervene or comment on the matter.
Sealed Shops Remain Under Watch
Near the Naumahla Mosque, four shops that had been sealed on Saturday (Ocober 4) continued to remain under police watch on Sunday. Shopkeepers said that they are tenants and that proper notice should have been given before such action. Locals also noted that the number of customers was significantly lower than usual due to the ongoing enforcement. Throughout the day, police and administrative officials remained active in the area, supervising the situation.
Farhat’s House Sealed, Family in Hiding
In the Faik Enclave area, the house of Farhat remained sealed on Sunday, and the neighbourhood was unusually quiet. Farhat’s family reportedly hid before the BDA could seal the house. When officials visited on Saturday, the house was already locked. On Sunday, police continued to monitor the sealed property. A local resident explained that Farhat’s house was sealed because its building plan was not approved, which has created fear among the residents. In this colony, nearly 70% of houses do not have approved plans, and people are worried that more houses could be sealed in the future.
