Uttar Pradesh: Church built illegally on forest land bulldozed in Mirzapur

A church illegally constructed on forest land in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district was bulldozed on Sunday, The Times of India reported.

The action was taken following complaints of illegal encroachment and forced religious conversions by the church authorities, according to the newspaper.

The demolition, in the Ahraura area, was conducted by the forest department, district administration and the police, Live Hindustan reported.

Abhinandan, the Mirzapur superintendent of police, told The Times of India that a case had been registered following a complaint of conversion on the pretext of lucrative offers to forest dwellers and villagers. The action was initiated after an investigation into the matter.

More groups involved in organised religious conversions are being tracked by the police and action will continue to be taken once the investigation into all related cases is completed, Abhinandan was quoted as saying.

In 2023, the police registered three cases in the matter for criminal trespassing under section 447 of the Indian Penal Code, and sections of the Indian Forest Act pertaining to actions prohibited in forests (section 5/26), power to make rules to regulate the transit of forest-produce (section 41) and penalty for breach of rules (section 42), The Times of India reported.

During the investigation, it was found that the land where the church was built belonged to the forest department.

Rajesh Verma, the Chunar sub-divisional magistrate, told The Times of India it was found during the investigation that two individuals – Ramakant of Belkhara and Vinod Kumar of Kukhia Jungle Mohal – had illegally encroached upon the reserved forest area.

The court ordered them to vacate the land within one week. Subsequently, Mirzapur’s district magistrate ordered the demolition of the structure after the accused did not comply with the court order.