Officials insist that only those portions for which compensation has been paid were targeted for demolition. Varanasi ADM Alok Verma said the road conversion effort is removing properties flagged for compensation, adding that occasional deviations during demolition operations are possible but no structure is being demolished arbitrarily. He noted that in Shahid’s case, six of the nine residents had been compensated, while court-ordered stay orders protected the remaining three portions.
Shahid’s sister-in-law, Nazneen, strongly denied receiving any compensation and asserted the family does not own any alternate property to relocate. His cousin, Mushtaq, claimed that the demolitions have exceeded the authorised width—citing that while most stretches are widened to 21 metres, in their area it extended to 25 metres. The family said they are scrambling to make arrangements ahead of a wedding scheduled in October.
Public Works Department records show that a total of 13 homes have been demolished so far in this corridor under the Kachery–Sandaha road widening drive. The Shahid home lies along that route, threatening a historic structure associated with one of India’s finest hockey minds.
The demolition has drawn sharp political backlash. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai condemned the move, framing it as “an insult to the nation’s sporting heritage” and accusing the ruling government of a deliberate slight against icons. BJP leaders countered the narrative, maintaining that the drive is part of urban development and only properties with due compensation were removed.