Four Arrested Over Demolition of Historic Maqbara in Attapur

Hyderabad: At least four persons were arrested after a maqbara (tomb) near Pillar No. 97 at Srinivasanagar on Attapur Road was demolished around 2 am on Monday.

One of them sustained a fractured leg during the demolition and was undergoing treatment, Langer Houz police said.

“By the time we reached the spot, the accused had fled.

We searched for them and managed to trace four persons.

Three have been arrested, while one is undergoing treatment for a fractured leg sustained during the demolition,” Langar Houz station house officer B. Venkat Ramulu said.

The SHO said an FIR had been registered in connection with the incident.

Police were to seize the CCTV digital video recorder (DVR) from the site.

The police were also examining material allegedly used in the demolition.

Osman Bin Alhajri, president of the Deccan Waqf Protection Society, said the entire maqbara had been demolished.

“The structure is believed to be around 100 years old.

It stands on a 33-acre parcel of land where there are graves, and there is also a dispute over the land, with allegations of encroachment,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

According to the society, residents alerted local leaders including Alhajri after hearing noises during the demolition.

Police arrived at the site around 2 am, by which time which those involved allegedly fled.

One of the persons sustained a leg fracture during the incident and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The land dispute and the structure’s legal status were yet to be established.

The police sought clarity on the site’s nature, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was yet to confirm what the structure was and whether it had any recognised heritage status.

AIMIM Karwan legislator Kausar Mohiuddin has also sought an impartial inquiry and action against those responsible.

He raised the issue with the Waqf Board and other officials, and brought it to the attention of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabad collector, the principal secretary of minority welfare and the Golconda zonal commissioner.

Mohiuddin described the structure as a historic arch and said part of it had been demolished, according to reports.

The Waqf society maintained that the entire maqbara was razed.

The discrepancy in the descriptions of the damage, along with the site’s ownership and heritage status, would need to be established through the investigation.

Police officials along with ACP Mohammed Faiz visited the site on Monday afternoon as the investigation continued, with police station at the site to ensure peace and security in the area.