A joint team from the Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City and Sub-Divisional Forest Office on Thursday demolished six illegal houses and sheds built by encroaching on public land in ward 17 of the city.

According to Bishnu Koirala, the chief of the city police, all the illegal infrastructures built on the 19 kattha of public land on the banks of the Sardu river were demolished after they failed to produce land ownership certificates sought by the sub-metropolitan city on March 26.

“The land was illegally occupied and was being sold to people by the local land mafia. Further investigation is going on, and action will be taken accordingly,” said Koirala.