House razed in Meerut after locals allege encroachment on road

Bareilly: A partially constructed house in Jagriti Vihar area of Meerut was demolished on Sunday after residents alleged that the structure encroached upon a 40-year-old public road in front of a temple. After local residents protested, the Housing Board intervened and razed the building, citing the absence of an approved map.Arvind Saini claimed legal ownership of the plot, saying, "I had been stuck in court for nearly 25 years. Even after securing a win from the court, I still need to complete certain documentation to possess my land."Recently, a civil court directed officials to measure the land and hand over possession to Saini. Following the order, officials, along with police, marked the boundaries and gave him control of the plot. Saini immediately began putting up boundary walls and started construction.However, on Sunday morning, locals accused him of blocking a public road. They claimed the house was being built "on a pathway used for decades." The residents pulled down the boundary wall, triggering tension in the area.Police reached the spot and — citing the court's direction — permitted Saini to resume work after the first protest. But unrest broke out again in the afternoon when locals returned and began demolishing the structure. With both sides confronting each other, Housing Development Board (HDB) officials arrived to assess the situation.HDB official Vijay Kumar Singh said, "The construction was illegal because no approved map had been submitted. The objection was regarding house construction on a public road in Jagriti Vihar. In the probe, we found that the work was being carried out on court's order, but the owner had not obtained an approved map."He said further action will be taken after hearing both the parties.