india

Updated: Dec 19, 2017 12:29 IST

Residents of Hindu-dominated Maliwara locality in Meerut on Sunday night allegedly prevented a Muslim from taking possession of a house he purchased from a Hindu jeweller.

Inspector, Kotwali, Yashveer Singh said it was a matter of sale and purchase of property and both the sides reached a compromise after the police intervened in the matter.

He said it was decided that the payment made by the buyer would be returned to him by February 18 next year.

Deepak Sharma, an office-bearer of the city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), came out in support of the residents. “Many Hindu-dominated localities like Shyam Nagar, Baniyapara, Tiwari quarters and Bank colony have become Muslim areas in the last few years. We cannot allow this to go on,” Sharma said.

He said a Hindu buyer would be searched to purchase the property and the money taken from the previous buyer would be returned to him.

Local corporator Sandeep Goel also supported the local residents in their protest. A jeweller Sanjay Rastogi had sold his house to Noman, a resident of Ismail Nagar, for Rs 28 lakh.

On Sunday night, when Rastogi reached his house to give the possession of the property to Noman, residents of the area objected to it and staged a protest.

Kotwali police reached the spot and tried to resolve the issue.

Pradeep, a resident of Maliwara, said Noman agreed not to take possession of the house if his money was returned within two months.

Rastogi said he had been telling the residents for the last two months that he wanted to sell his house but no one came forward to help him. Noman was not available for comments and his phone was found to be switched off.