Administration demolishes illegal dargah in Aarey Colony amid tight security
The local administration in Mumbai demolished an illegal dargah located inside Aarey Colony on Tuesday. The demolition was carried out under tight police security to prevent any potential law and order disruptions in the area.
During the operation, police officials closed off several internal roads within Aarey Colony. This precautionary measure was taken to prevent any mobs or large gatherings from forming near the site of the demolition. Authorities later confirmed that the entire process was completed peacefully without any law and order incidents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Gajanan Rajmane of Zone 12 addressed reporters regarding the action. He explained that a private trust had constructed the religious structure without obtaining the necessary legal permissions from the concerned authorities.
Because the dargah was built without permission, it was officially classified as an illegal encroachment. DCP Rajmane noted that multiple notices had been sent to the trust, instructing them to dismantle and take down the structure on their own.
Despite being provided with sufficient time to comply with the official notices, the trust failed to pull down the illegal structure. Following this non-compliance, the local administration requested the police department to provide adequate security forces to assist in the demolition process. The police department subsequently provided the requested security personnel to ensure the structure was safely removed.
The demolition follows previous official complaints regarding the site. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya stated that he had lodged a formal complaint against the illegal structure nearly a year ago.
In a separate complaint filed in January this year, Aarey Colony security officer Vijay Wagh raised further allegations against the site. Wagh alleged that the dargah had been illegally drawing electricity for the past 10 years. According to his complaint, more than 77,000 units of electricity, amounting to a total value of Rs 31 lakh, had been illegally siphoned from an electricity box located near unit 32 inside Aarey Colony.
