The unnamed masjid in Hyderabad’s Shaikpet, called ‘Alijapur Masjid’ after the locality in which it is based, is just a few metres away from the historical Qutub Shahi Tombs. The masjid, which is currently undergoing a major facelift, had been abandoned and neglected for several decades, according to locals.

However after an incident on May 1, in which unidentified troublemakers placed an idol of the Hindu god Shiva inside the masjid leading to mild tension in the area, a committee was formed and a decision was taken on Saturday to secure the masjid by building a compound wall around it.

According to Masjid Pasha Qadri, who is now appointed as the muezzin, a similar incident occurred one year back when an anonymous group of people set up a small temple in the masjid overnight, “They made a small structure and erected a statue inside it,” he says. Residents in the locality promptly alerted the police and removed the structure before it could snowball into a larger controversy and incite communal violence. However, the masjid still remained unguarded and in the open.

Shaker Ali Tahseem, member of the newly formed masjid committee says, “People would come here and drink. The sanctity of the masjid was being corroded away. The repeated incident of someone placing a Hindu statue was worrisome. So now we have erected a compound and grills to the masjid so that no one can enter the shrine.”

After the recent controversy, the Waqf board—the Muslim body which preserves the Muslim monuments and properties—along with the revenue department surveyed the masjid and subsequently demarcated 900 square yards surrounding it as Waqf board property. After getting the go-ahead from local authorities, the newly formed masjid committee erected a temporary compound to ensure that no further damage is done. “We don’t want to take any chances now. From now on, every day, prayers will be conducted five times a day,” says Shaker.

The local, Golconda police has allotted police protection to the masjid until the premises are permanently secured to prevent any further mischief from taking place.