Parts of Abdullah Residency, a housing project in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, were demolished by authorities following allegations that homes were being sold exclusively to Muslims and that a mosque had been constructed inside the complex.
The demolition followed a complaint by Somendra Tomar, Minister of State for Energy, who wrote to the Meerut Development Authority accusing the builders of “allotting houses only to Muslims” and “illegally constructing a mosque” within the premises.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered at Nauchandi police station against two individuals, Javed Iqbal and Mahendra Gupta, associated with AIM INFRA Homes LLP, the firm developing Abdullah Residency. The complaint, filed by Sandeep Kumar, a Junior Engineer at the Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board, alleged that the developers had encroached upon a 12-metre-wide road outside the building on Monday, September 8.
According to the FIR, property dealers were repeatedly asked to remove the encroachment but failed to comply. The case was registered under sections 329(3), 126(2), and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Following this, District Magistrate V. K. Singh constituted a three-member inspection committee including SDM Sadar Diksha Joshi, CO Civil Lines Abhishek Tiwari, and Executive Engineer of the Housing & Development Board, Aftab Ahmad. On Tuesday, the committee inspected the site, measured the land under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), and found that construction had been carried out on 300 square meters of encroached land. Bulldozers were immediately brought in, and the structure was torn down. Videos of the demolition circulated widely on social media.
While district officials defended the action as a move against “illegal construction and encroachment,” the accused builders called it another instance of “bulldozer justice” disproportionately targeting Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
Abdullah Residency is being developed by retired Major General Javed Iqbal and Noida-based builder Mahendra Gupta. Refuting the allegations, Iqbal’s brother Abid told Maktoob that the project was inclusive and open to all buyers regardless of religion.
“We are businessmen and can sell property to anyone who pays, without interfering in their religious affiliations,” he said. On the allegation of a mosque inside the complex, he clarified, “There are already many mosques in nearby areas. But not inside Abdullah Residency. We have only constructed the complex as per the approved plan under the RERA Act, 2016.”
Nauchandi Police Station Inspector Harpal Singh confirmed the FIR, saying, “An investigation is underway.”
Committee member Abhishek Tiwari also told Maktoob, “No mosque was found inside the premises of the colony under construction. However, encroachment was identified, and the structure was demolished. A report has been submitted to the District Magistrate, and further action will be taken by higher authorities.”
Speaking on the controversy, AIMIM Uttar Pradesh President Shaukat Ali accused the ruling BJP of communalising the issue. “The land belongs to us, and we have every right to sell it to whomever we want. BJP and RSS are deliberately fueling divisions between Hindus and Muslims. After the Babri Masjid, there is genuine fear in the community. Even the Ram Mandir stands on land that was encroached,” he said. “These people simply place a stone and declare it a holy site. The reality is that 90 percent of temples in Uttar Pradesh are built on illegal land.”
