Mosque sealed in Uttarakhand's Rajaji Tiger Reserve following SC order

Rishikesh, Sep 24: A decades-old mosque in the Ramgarh Range of Uttarakhand's Rajaji Tiger Reserve has been sealed in a joint operation by the sanctuary administration and police.

Ramgarh Range Forest Officer Ajay Dhyani said the mosque, located on 0.0008 hectares of forest land in the Asha Rodi Forest Beat of the range, was sealed in compliance with a Supreme Court order issued on September 3.

He explained that the apex court order prohibits any human activity within the sanctuary premises.

The officer said after the mosque was sealed in the presence of the police force, a warning board was put up outside the structure, cautioning that violators would face legal action under forest laws.

He said after the Forest Department objected to the mosque, some people approached the Supreme Court against it. However, the government strongly argued in court, pointing out that the mosque was built on protected forest land within the sanctuary, where human activities are prohibited by law.