Siddharthanagar: A bulldozer demolished the boundary wall and gate of the Kotwali police station in Siddharthanagar on August 28, 2024. This action was part of a broader anti-encroachment initiative aimed at reclaiming government land for road expansion. The police station, listed among 55 illegal structures, was unexpectedly included in the demolition drive.
The bulldozer, deployed to clear encroachments and widen roads, arrived at the police station, leaving officers bewildered. The police had participated in the anti-encroachment drive earlier, unaware that their own station’s wall was targeted.
Station House Officer Santosh Tiwari questioned the legality of demolishing part of a police station without written orders. Additional District Magistrate Umashankar Singh and Sub Divisional Magistrate Lalit Kumar, leading the demolition team, defended their actions, emphasising that no exceptions would be made.
The drive also affected other local structures, including a segment of the Panchayat Bhawan. District Magistrate Raja Ganapathy R stated that efforts to clear Khajuria Road of encroachments began in 2017, noting that the road’s width had increased from 6 meters to 13 meters following the demolition.
