The Sambhal district administration has issued a notice to Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP who is accused of instigating the November 24 mosque-survey violence in which four persons died, seeking an explanation within 15 days regarding an illegal construction.

The administration has warned of potential fines or demolition if the house-construction map has not been approved by the authorities.

Sambhal district magistrate Rajendra Pensiya told reporters on Thursday: “We have served notices on the MP and other residents of the area under the Regulations of Building Operations Act, 1958, because they have constructed, or are constructing, the structure without getting the maps approved. We have given them 15 days to reply. After that, either a fine will be imposed on them or the process to demolish the buildings will be inititiated.”

If the construction work is not stopped immediately, a fine of ₹500 to ₹10,000 per day can be slapped. The district magistrate didn’t explain what they would do if the houses had already been built and people were living there.

Questioning the time of the notice, Barq said: “All rules have been followed and the house has been under construction for the last year.”

Barq had opposed a second survey of the Jama Masjid in the city on November 24 without taking the mosque committee into confidence. The police and a mob had clashed there, claiming four lives and causing injuries to scores. Barq had challenged the police to prove the charges of instigation levelled in the FIR against him.

Teacher arrested

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a raid at the house of Mufti Khalid Nadvi, a teacher at Salim Bagh in Jhansi, on Thursday over allegations of foreign funding for his “illegal” coaching centre.

The raid continued for about eight hours, following which Nadvi was taken into custody amid resistance
from locals.

Jhansi superintendent of police Gyanendra Singh said: “The NIA team from Delhi arrived here early in the morning to interrogate Nadvi. There is no problem as the local people are cooperating with the agency. The team is taking him into custody for interrogation. There won’t be any problem if there is no evidence against him.”

Mufti Mohammad Sabir Qasmi, the qazi of Jhansi city and Nadvi’s uncle, said: “The agency had first come to my house and then went there. They didn’t find anything in my or my nephew’s house.”