Bareilly (UP), Dec 20 (PTI) A probe has been launched into a land dispute involving the Ganga Maharani temple here following claims by the temple committee that the land has been occupied illegally, officials said on Friday.
They said District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar has ordered the probe, with a directive to the occupant, Wahid Ali and his family, to vacate the property within seven days.
The officials said Wahid Ali, however, has requested an extension of eight months to vacate the premises.
The area surrounding the temple remains under police surveillance.
"The investigation will clarify the ownership and religious status of the site. Investigating officers have been instructed to submit their report soon," Kumar said, adding that the final decision on the matter will depend on the findings of the inquiry.
Bareilly Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sadar, Govind Maurya, informed the media that documents from the municipal corporation and the individuals claiming ownership of the land have been sought.
As the municipal corporation has been collecting property tax for the building, the records they hold will be crucial in determining the legal status of the land. A final decision will be made after a thorough examination of these records, he said.
The dispute centres around Rakesh Singh, who claims to be a descendant of the family that built the temple around 250 years ago.
Singh has claimed that the temple's land was officially registered in the temple's name in 1905 and alleged that Wahid Ali and his family illegally occupied the temple building, initially under the guise of being part of the Dauli Raghuvar Dayal Sadhan Sahakari Samiti Limited, a cooperative society.
Singh also claimed that the temple's idol was removed and worship ceased due to the occupation.
Ali, however, refuted the claims, asserting that he has lived on the premises for the last 40 years as a watchman for the cooperative society.
He also alleged that officials from the cooperative department were refusing to recognise him as an employee to avoid paying his outstanding salary.
According to Vikas Sharma, secretary of the Dauli Raghuvar Dayal Sadhan Sahakari Samiti, two rooms of the building were rented by the society.
However, Sharma said these rooms were vacated in 2022 and alleged that Wahid Ali, who has been living there as a watchman, was also asked to leave but he did not.
On Friday, a team consisting of the naib tehsildar, officials from the cooperative society and police from the Kila police station visited the site.
Naib Tehsildar Brijesh Singh confirmed that a complaint has been filed regarding the alleged illegal occupation of the temple.
Investigations have been ongoing, with statements collected from locals and the claimant, Rakesh Singh, he said, adding that a final report would be submitted to the authorities once all evidence has been reviewed.
Pankaj Pathak, who is associated with a Hindu organisation, warned of protests and a hunger strike if the police failed to vacate the property.
"If the authorities do not take action, we will protest here and demand that the temple is returned to its rightful owner," he said, and expressed hope that under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the issue would be resolved, unlike in previous governments.
Rakesh Singh, meanwhile, has provided documents to support his claims of ownership and the temple's original status.
He maintained that the land was once home to a religious site, with a shivling and other idols, which he alleged were destroyed during the illegal occupation.