Demolition in Khalilabad’s Motinagar Follows Commissioner’s Order; ATS Probe Flags Foreign Funding and Extremist Links

An illegal madrasa linked to a UK-based cleric was demolished in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar district on Sunday, April 26, 2026, following a commissioner’s order and amid an ongoing probe by the Anti-Terrorism Squad into alleged foreign funding and extremist connections.

The structure, located in the Motinagar locality of Khalilabad, was built over 640 square metres and comprised a three-storey building with 25 rooms. Officials estimated its construction cost at nearly ₹5 crore and stated it had been erected about eight years ago on land classified as government property.

The demolition was carried out by ten teams using six bulldozers, beginning around 10 a.m., under tight security. Over 100 police personnel, including 30 women constables and two companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, were deployed at the site to ensure the operation proceeded without incident.

Authorities confirmed the madrasa had remained closed since 2024, when approximately 400 students were enrolled. The administration alleged that the construction was funded through foreign sources and violated land use regulations.

The property is linked to Shamsul Huda Khan, a UK-based cleric originally from eastern Uttar Pradesh who acquired British citizenship in 2013 and left India in 2017. His family continues to reside in Khalilabad. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad has been probing his connections, particularly regarding alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

An FIR has been registered against Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged foreign funding irregularities. The case was recommended by the ATS Varanasi unit following their investigation into the illegal collection of foreign funds for madrasas without government permission.