The Sambhal district administration has begun an inquiry against the Sunni Central Waqf Board and some local people who claimed they owned the land near Sambhal town’s Jama Masjid where a police station is being built.

“I have instituted an inquiry against the waqf board after receiving complaints that it illegally acquired or disposed of some properties in the district,” said Rajendra Pensiya, district magistrate of Sambhal, 400km northwest of Lucknow.

“An inquiry has also been ordered against those claiming their right over the land earmarked for the police station without any authentic document with them.”

Authorities had last month started the process of building the police station near the mosque — already the subject of a temple controversy that led to a deadly clash in November — on a plot they said was owned by the government.

But several residents and the waqf board furnished documents claiming they owned various parcels of this plot, and accused the administration of grabbing the land illegally. These residents can now face prosecution if the inquiry decides they misled the administration.

The police have put up a board at the site that says “Satyavrat Police Chowki”. A dozen labourers have been engaged to build it.

On Wednesday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had waded into the controversy and accused the Sambhal authorities of grabbing waqf land.

“Under the rules, no construction can be done within 100 metres of a religious place,” he said.

“Can Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, who met many leaders in Kuwait, dare show those leaders what the BJP government is doing in Sambhal?” he added, referring to Modi’s recent Kuwait trip.

Pensiya said: “We are following all the rules. We conducted a (preliminary) inquiry and found that the claims of these people are false. It is government land.”

The district authorities, including Pensiya, are already under a cloud relating to their role in the run-up to the November violence that killed four people outside the Jama Masjid.

The Sambhal administration also plans to build police posts in the Deepa Sarai and Khaggu Sarai localities of Sambhal town that have substantial Muslim populations.

“These two areas are sensitive. The process to identify plots (for the police posts) in these areas will start soon. The construction will be done on a priority basis,” the additional superintendent, Sambhal North, Shrish Chandra, said.