Several shopkeepers in the Maharajganj village, in Uttar Pradesh’ Bahraich district, have begun emptying their establishments for fear of a demolition drive, reported PTI on Sunday.

Twenty-three establishments have received eviction notices from the state Public Works Department, out of which 20 belong to Muslims. The notices directed the owners of the properties to vacate them in three days.

According to India Today, some of the shopkeepers voluntarily demolished portions of their establishments that were deemed to be illegal.

One of the shops that received an eviction notice belongs to 62-year-old jeweller Abdul Hameed, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a 22-year-old Hindu man named Ram Gopal Mishra last Sunday. Hameed’s three sons have also been accused in the case, reported The Indian Express.

Mishra died reportedly of a gunshot wound after clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups during a Durga Puja procession.

There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the destruction of property as a punitive action against someone accused of a crime. The practice has, however, become common in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The notice to Hameed stated that his property was “illegal” for being within 60 feet of a road median, reported PTI. District Magistrate Monika Rani said that “encroachments” were being removed to widen roads.

“People are vacating their shops,” said Sureshwar Singh, the BJP MLA from Mahsi, to PTI. “Those who don’t will be dealt with by the administration. In all, there are around 50 shops.”

Maharajganj village is located in the Mahsi Assembly constituency.

Singh denied that the shopkeepers were being targeted for their religion.

What happened on October 13?

The altercation that lead to Mishra’s killing was reportedly triggered after some Muslims objected to music being played during a Durga Puja procession.

A video widely shared on social media purportedly showed Mishra removing a green flag from a building and replacing it with a saffron flag during the procession. The violence erupted after miscreants threw stones and fired gunshots.

At least 26 persons, including the primary suspect identified as Salman, have been arrested in connection with Mishra’s death.

On October 14, hundreds gathered in protest during Mishra’s last rites. Several properties were torched and the police used lathis and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Internet services were suspended in the district and restored on Thursday.

The same day, Hameed’s daughter Rukhsar claimed that the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force had detained her father, her two brothers, her husband and her brother-in-law.

Later that same day, the police shot and injured two men accused of involvement in Mishra’s killing, one of whom was Hameed’s son Sarfaraz.

By Friday, the police had arrested 87 individuals in Bahraich related to the ensuing riots, PTI reported.

Circle Officer Rupendra Gaur, Tehsildar Ravikant Dwivedi and District Information Officer Ghulam Waris Siddiqui were removed from their positions after the violence.

A station house officer and a police officer were suspended.