Day after Saharanpur demolition, well discovered at the spot where mosque stood

Following the demolition of a mosque within the Saharanpur collectorate compound, district officials uncovered a well beneath the rubble on Sunday. The well, concealed by a stone slab, measured approximately 20 feet deep and 1.5 metres in width. Santosh Bahadur Singh, the Additional District Magistrate of Saharanpur, stated that the discovery occurred when an earthmover became stuck on the slab during the debris clearance for the mosque's demolition.

The administration has yet to determine the subsequent steps in handling the situation. Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India are anticipated to be consulted to assess the well's age and historical significance. The well is currently covered to prevent any falling debris, and police teams have been stationed at the site, with barricades preventing unauthorized access.

The mosque's demolition took place three days after a district court overturned an earlier ruling, stating that the structure was unauthorized and located on government land. Vikas Tyagi, whose complaint prompted the district administration to investigate the mosque, urged for a comprehensive investigation of the well. He also requested the presence of an ASI team to investigate any additional structures beneath the mosque.

The mosque had been classified as unauthorized in July, following which the City Magistrate ordered its eviction within 30 days. A penalty of Rs 6.41 crore was imposed on the unauthorized occupants for the unlawful occupation of a 315-square-metre government land plot, as per the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.

Tanveer Ahmed, the mosque's Mutwali, contended that the demolition had been executed without proper procedures. Saharanpur's Congress MP, Imran Masood, labeled the demolition as a "black day" for the city, alleging that authorities encircled residents, confined them to their homes, and razed the mosque.