The district administration has imposed restrictions on the entry of “outsiders” into Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh following a day of stone-pelting and arson after a court-ordered survey of Shahi Jama Masjid.
In the recent violence that hit Shahjahanpur, four people lost their lives as three were killed in the clashes, while another died of his injuries. According to the police, an FIR has also been registered against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq on charges of inciting riots. However, Barq claims he was in Bengaluru, where a meeting of the India Muslim Personal Law Board was held on the day when violence occurred.
Barq has also accused the police of a major conspiracy, joining hands to kill innocent people: “They have killed our five innocent people, and many others are injured. I demand a murder case against these officers and arrest them.
Police have arrested 25 people linked to the riots that broke out on Sunday over the mosque survey. Weapons, including firearms, were seized from the detained persons, who included two women alleged to have fired guns from their residence that falls under the Nakhasa police station. Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar confirmed that firing was done from their house during the rioting.
The eruption of violence took place as protesters came face to face with police and started throwing stones and setting fire to vehicles. Police retaliated with tear gas. Violence escalated early in the morning when people gathered and survey team started its work at the mosque that is at the center of a judicial wrangle on the allegation that it was built over the ruins of an ancient temple.
The chief of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, announced that he would be leading a delegation to Sambhal, condemning the Yogi Adityanath regime for allegedly provoking riots. He questioned the motive behind the fresh survey when one had already been conducted on November 19 and demanded that police personnel responsible for the incident be suspended.
The autopsy reports, in the light of political fallouts, stated that two of the deaths were caused by injuries from 315-bore bullets, which are not issued to the UP Police and thus strongly suggest that illegal firearms were used in the violence. The post-mortems were conducted by a team of forensic experts and were video-recorded.
Congress representatives Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi attacked the Yogi administration on the management of the situation, demanding intervention by the Supreme Court. Rahul also said that the BJP heightened communal violence, while Priyanka demanded judicial intervention to address the violence.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Sambhal, Muniraj G, affirmed that the current situation has stabilized, with law enforcement positioned at key locations. Internet services have been suspended for a duration of one day, and educational institutions have been closed for safety considerations. The District Magistrate has enacted a directive that forbids outsiders and representatives from accessing the district without official authorization.
The police have documented seven FIRs against almost 2,500 persons, with the aid of CCTV and drone recordings to identify culprits. The situation remains tense but additional troops are deployed to maintain order.
