MEERUT, Sept. 6 -- A mosque inside the district collectorate complex in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur was demolished by the district administration on Saturday, days after a district 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, 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 a government land. "The mosque committee's appeal was subsequently dismissed, paving the way for the demolition. Authorities had taken all preventive measures to maintain law and order and were strictly following established legal procedures," the DIG said. Dumpers and other demolition equipment were brought inside the premises on Friday night, and the removal of the mosque structure began the next morning. Police and local intelligence unit had assessed the situation across the district ahead of the demolition, officials said. The action followed a September 2 order of the district court, which upheld the decision of the city court on July 16, declaring the mosque illegal and imposing a penalty of Rs.6.41 crore. The case dates back to March 24, 2025, when a petition was filed by Vikas Tyagi, the former provincial convenor of the Bajrang Dal, alleging the structure was illegal. The mosque's side challenged the order before the district court on July 20, 2026. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav questioned the timing of the demolition of the mosque, asking why the matter was not allowed to proceed to court....