Mob razes 'mazaar' at elite school at Doon in Dehradun

DEHRADUN: Members of a right-wing group scaled the boundary wall of a prestigious residential school in Dehradun and demolished a structure that they claimed was a mazaar that was being built inside the campus.

The group, claiming they took permission from govt officials to raze the structure, also streamed the act live on social media on Wednesday evening. Even as the group’s members justified their action, the episode has put in focus the security breach at the school, where children of a number of prominent personalities study.

The Dehradun district administration denied issuing any orders for the structure’s demolition. “Our team visited the site when we were informed about the incident. After speaking to locals, it was clear that the structure was on the school’s campus. The administration, however, had no role in its destruction. We have taken steps to ensure law and order remains unaffected by the incident,” DM Savin Bansal said.

Radha Dhoni, president of Sanatan Sanskriti , the organisation responsible for the act, claimed that the ‘mazaar’ was recently built on the campus of the school, and was “violating the chief minister’s orders prohibiting religious structures in public institutions”.

Dhoni told TOI, “When we approached the school authorities, they claimed it was an old structure, previously damaged during civic work, and that they were simply repairing it. But it was clearly newly built, just a few days old. I could see the site from my home’s terrace across the road. The construction had started only recently. It was unmistakably a grave-like structure for prayers, resembling a mazaar. Why was this allowed on the school campus? And when we questioned them, the school staff wouldn’t even let us enter.”

Though the act has raised serious questions about security at the elite boarding school, officials said the school has not filed a formal complaint.