A nearly 20-foot-deep and around 1.5-metre-wide well was discovered beneath the rubble of a mosque located that was demolished inside the premises of the Saharanpur Collectorate in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The well was discovered while debris was being cleared from the site, a day after the mosque was demolished in a bulldozer operation that continued for nearly 16 hours on Saturday.
According to officials, a slab was spotted during debris removal on Sunday morning. After the slab was cut with a cutter, the well was found underneath it.
Meanwhile, the demolition of this 70-year-old illegal mosque on Saturday has sparked a political controversy, with parties including the Samajwadi Party, Congress and AIMIM strongly opposing the action and criticising the use of bulldozers. The demolition followed an order issued by the City Magistrate and a subsequent decision by the district court. On Thursday, District Judge Satendra Kumar rejected a petition filed by the Muslim side and upheld the City Magistrate's July 16, 2026, order, which had treated the disputed land as government property.
Technical teams to investigate
After discovering a well beneath the mosque's structure, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sadar Subodh Kumar reached the spot and informed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain the antiquity and history of the well. He said technical teams and concerned agencies will investigate to determine the scale and provide further details. "We carried out this action in compliance with the court order. In the same sequence, a well has been discovered here," he said.
SDM further said the full details would become clear only after technical teams inspect the site. He said the structure appeared to be a well made of bricks, with its overall construction also consisting of brickwork. Based on a preliminary inspection, it appeared to be a well.
Samajwadi Party delegation to visit Saharanpur
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has launched a protest against the demolition action. A delegation is scheduled to visit Saharanpur on September 7 and will also inspect the Collectorate site where the mosque was demolished. The delegation members will first gather at the residence of former MP Haji Fazlur Rehman before proceeding to the Collectorate.
SP delegation to visit Saharanpur:
- Lal Bihari Yadav, Leader of the Opposition, Legislative Council
- Chaudhary Abdul Wahid, District President
- Haji Nawab Ansari, City President
- Harendra Malik, MP
- Iqra Hasan, MP (Kairana)
- Chaudhary Rudrasen, National General Secretary
- Haji Fazlur Rahman, Former MP
- Atul Pradhan, MLA (Sardhana)
- Ashu Malik, MLA
- Umar Ali, MLA
- Ramautar Saini, MLA
- Kiran Pal Kashyap, MLC
- Maviya Ali, Former MLA
- Rahul Bharti, President, SP SC Wing
- Mangeram Kashyap, Former Minister of State
- Ziya Chaudhary, District President (Muzaffarnagar)
Owaisi, Congress raise mosque issue
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate premises in Uttar Pradesh, asserting that "religious freedom is not dependent on mercy" and questioning the constitutional safeguards for Muslims.
Owaisi has alleged that the mosque existed before the construction of the Collectorate office and accused the state government of targeting mosques through demolition drives.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Imran Masood has reiterated his claim that the administration acted in haste while demolishing the mosque. He said he would take the matter to the Supreme Court.
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