A case of unlawful possession of dwellings built for the needy under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has surfaced in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. It has come to attention that members of the Muslim community have illegally taken over 125 residences. Not only that, but domes have been built around these houses, which have been converted into mosques, tombs, and sites for exorcisms.
According to news reports, in 2013, the Housing Board constructed 400 residences under the Prime Minister’s scheme in Ward 43 Devrikhurd of the Municipal Corporation border region. 335 apartments were distributed to families that did not have any houses. The Municipal Corporation locked the remaining 65 houses. Outsiders eventually broke the locks of these 65 houses and began to live in them.
Not only that, but 60 of the 335 families assigned residences were threatened, they were forcefully evicted, and their homes were illegally occupied. Following this, illegal construction was carried out on these buildings, and domes were added to give them an Islamic identity. Following this, the procedure of exorcism began.
According to a report from News 18, exorcism is performed by constructing a tomb-like structure on houses numbered 199 and 200. Both of these homes have been given the titles Shankar Dharu and Sukhdev. However, an individual named Zakir Khan is said to have occupied these houses. Locals claim that Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims reside here.
In the words of locals, the majority of the houses built under the Prime Minister’s scheme have been sold. However, the provisions state that these houses cannot be sold. At the same time, the majority of the houses are illegally occupied. According to locals, around 125 properties in this area have been unlawfully occupied. There also is a steady flow of strangers here.
BP Singh, Chairman of the Housing Board Colony says that a structure resembling a tomb has been built in the Prime Minister’s residence scheme in recent years, and anti-social elements continue to meet under its shelter. People from Talapara come here to drink alcohol. He stated that people from Bangladesh and Uttar Pradesh were living in Devrikhurd, but their verification has not even been done.
BP Singh stated that there are many people here who do not have a voter ID or a ration card. He stated that the Municipal Corporation Administration has been asked to verify the identities of those residing here and take action against those who are living illegally. He further stated that multiple demands have been submitted to the administration to remove the tomb.
When the matter gained momentum, Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer Suresh Barua stated that he had received information concerning unlawful building at the Prime Minister’s house at Devrikhurd. He said that it is wrong to make changes in the construction of the Prime Minister’s residence scheme. In this situation, the unauthorised construction will be demolished after a notice is issued to the inhabitants.
Apart from that, an instance of Love Jihad has come to light here. Imran deceived a 13-year-old girl and took her to Uttar Pradesh. However, because of the efforts of Hindu organisations, the girl was found by police on February 10, 2024. In the present scenario, the police are investigating the incident by filing a FIR. Meanwhile, Imran, the accused, is on the run.
