MEERUT, Sept. 5 -- A mosque inside the Saharanpur collectorate complex was demolished by the district administration early Saturday morning, days after a district judge's court upheld an earlier order declaring the structure illegal, officials said.

The demolition was carried out amid tight security, with all five gates of the collectorate sealed and a heavy security contingent, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), deployed to maintain law and order, they added.

Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh said the city magistrate's court had found that the structure at the Saharanpur collectorate was illegally constructed on government land. "The Mosque Committee's appeal was subsequently dismissed, paving the way for the demolition. Authorities h...