Hyderabad: An altercation broke out between devotees at Masjid-e-Amera and an adjacent jewellery store at Abids after noon prayers on Wednesday.

The devotees alleged that the store was carrying out illegal construction on the masijd land, while the store management claimed that they had nothing to do with the construction. Sources said that the owners of the shop were constructing a structure and a portion of the masjid had developed cracks due to the same.

Devotees had lodged a complaint with the Abids police and on Wednesday, around 200 devotees protested at the construction site following which the GHMC demolished the constructed portion.

Assistant commissioner of police, Abids circle, Ragavender Reddy said, “Construction was being carried out on land adjacent to the masjid by Surajbhan Jewelers. It is a disputed land. The construction had been taken up without GHMC permission. A complaint was filed at the Abids police station.” Muzammil Junaidi, who filed the complaint, said, “Masjid-e- Amera, Abids, is a place of worship for over 1200 devotees since 45 years. First comes the Masjid, then an open space (disputed land where the construction was on) and then Surajbhan Jewelers. Without municipal permission, Surajbhan Jewelers were carrying out construction at the open space. They had built two slabs. Three months ago we filed a complaint to the GHMC; a notice was also sent, which was ignored by the owners. During the construction activity the portion where the priest says prayers, developed cracks.”

When contacted, one Asif of Surajbhan Jewelers, said, “The jewellery shop has nothing to do with the construction, it is a disputed land.”