MEERUT, June 21 -- A 70-year-old mosque allegedly built on government pond land in Baghpat district was demolished on Saturday following directions from the Allahabad high court. Officials said the operation, carried out under heavy police deployment, lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, district administration. The demolition took place in Rajpur-Khampur village, about 10 kilometres from the district headquarters. Around noon, Baraut SDM Bhavna Singh and Baghpat SDM Jyoti Sharma reached the site with a bulldozer, two inspectors and nearly 100 police personnel drawn from two police stations. Authorities razed the structure, locally known as the Takiya Wali Masjid. During the operation, some residents approached the district magistrate seeking intervention to stop the demolition. However, officials declined the request, citing compliance with the high court's directions. The mosque had been built around 70 years ago on a 100-square-yard plot classified as government pond land. The premises also housed two rooms where a madrasa functioned, with around 40 children studying there. The dispute dates back to 2021, when a local resident, Gulsher, complained to the SDM alleging that the mosque had been built on government land earmarked as a pond. When no action was taken, he approached the then district magistrate, who ordered an inquiry. In 2022, Gulsher moved a civil court seeking action against the mosque. As the case remained pending, he later approached the Allahabad HC. In April this year, the HC declared the structure illegal and directed the district administration to remove encroachments from public land....