Illegal Dargah Demolished in Aarey Colony Amid Tight Security

The local administration has demolished an illegal dargah inside Aarey Colony, Mumbai, on Tuesday under heavy police presence. The demolition was carried out after the trust responsible for the structure failed to dismantle it despite receiving official notices.

To maintain law and order and prevent crowds from assembling at the site, the police closed several internal roads within Aarey Colony. Officials reported that the entire demolition process was completed peacefully, with no law and order issues arising during the operation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Gajanan Rajmane (Zone 12) informed reporters that the dargah had been built by a trust without the required permissions from the authorities. Because the structure was classified as an encroachment, the administration had previously issued notices to the trust directing them to remove it.

According to DCP Rajmane, the trust was provided with sufficient time to comply with the orders and pull down the structure. However, since the trust did not take action, the administration coordinated with the police department to secure the area. The police provided the necessary bandobast to facilitate the demolition.

The illegal structure had previously drawn complaints from political and security figures. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya stated that he had filed a formal complaint against the illegal dargah approximately one year ago.

In another complaint filed in January this year, Aarey Colony security officer Vijay Wagh raised concerns over electricity theft at the location. Wagh alleged that the dargah had been illegally consuming 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 drawn illegally from a power box situated near unit 32 inside Aarey Colony.