Sambhal violence: Judicial commission in violence-hit UP district to probe violence that occurred over mosque survey

A three-member judicial inquiry commission arrived at the site in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal where clashes occurred over a court-ordered mosque survey in a Mughal-era mosque, which claimed five lives. The panel inspected the site of the incident with Sambhal’s District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP).

The delegation, headed by Justice Devendra Kumar Arora, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, took information about the incident from the police and district administration officials of Sambhal district present at the site. The other members of the panel include Amit Mohan Prasad, a retired IAS officer, and Arvind Kumar Jain, a retired IPS officer.

The commission will investigate whether the violence in Sambhal was a planned conspiracy or a sudden incident. It will also investigate the role of people behind the clashes and submit a report in two months.

It will probe the arrangements made by the district administration and police to maintain law and order and the circumstances leading to the clashes and police using force on protesters opposing the mosque survey.

The panel will recommend suggestions to prevent such incidents in the future.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.

Violence erupted on November 24 as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel, leading to stone pelting and arson. Five people died during the clashes.

On Friday, the Supreme Court asked the trial court in Sambhal not to proceed with the mosque survey case till the Shahi Idgah committee of the Jama Masjid moves the High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar also directed that the report of the commissioner, who conducted the survey of the mosque, should be kept in a sealed cover and should not be opened in the meantime.

The Supreme Court’s order came on a plea filed by the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee challenging the order passed by the trial court commissioning the survey of the mosque. The trial court order came following claims that the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babar in 1526 after demolishing a temple that stood there.

The top court also said the petition filed by the mosque committee before the High Court should be listed within three working days. The Supreme Court, however, kept the committee’s plea before it pending and ordered it to be listed in the week starting January 6, 2025.

Recently, a political row erupted over the Sambhal district administration’s order prohibiting outsiders from visiting the district till December 10 to maintain law and order. Police also detained a 15-member Samajwadi Party leaders’ delegation that was on its way to visit Sambhal, drawing a sharp retort from its chief Akhilesh Yadav.