In the Sambhal violence case, the administration’s action continued and the police raided the locality of Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rehman Barq on Monday (9th December). During the raid, a consignment of narcotics along with illegal weapons was also recovered and 34 bikes were challaned, in addition, 4 bikes were seized.
Reports say that as part of the action in Sambhal violence wherein an Islamist mob attacked the police on 24th November during a court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid, the police raided the Timardas Sarai area of Nakhasa police station area on Monday at around 3 pm. During this, 13 houses were thoroughly searched and of these, 93 packets of smack were recovered from the house of Mulla Asif. Meanwhile, 315 bore pistols were recovered from the houses of Tajwar and Mahbar. The police detained Mahbar, who had already served a jail sentence in a murder case in 1999.
The police stated that 315-bore bullets were also recovered from the bodies of rioters killed during the violence. At present, the police took the people found in the houses of Mahbar, Mulla Asif and Tajwar to the police station. A judicial inquiry is going on in the entire case, and the administration is talking about taking strict action against the rioters. The police also marched twice in front of SP MP Ziaur Rahman’s house and are conducting thorough checking of the vehicles in the Sambhal district.
Meanwhile, Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said that the search operation is being conducted on the information of the presence of outsiders in the district. It is being verified who has come from outside and why. According to the SP, the search operation will continue further. SP Bishnoi added that the recovered goods are being sealed and investigation and other necessary legal action are being taken.
Zia Ur Rehman Barq’s alleged role in Sambhal violence
Notably, Barq is among those charged in connection with the violence unleashed by Islamist mobs on 24th November in response to a court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid.
According to the FIR filed against him, Barq visited the mosque days before the violence without permission and incited unrest. Barq, however, has denied the allegations. In a statement, he claimed that when the violence broke out, he was not in the state, let alone in Sambhal. He accused the UP Police of conspiring against him.
The FIR read, “On November 22, Zia ur Rehman Barq visited the Jama Masjid. After offering namaaz, he gathered a crowd without administrative permission and made provocative statements. For political gain, he incited the crowd to disturb communal harmony.”
Furthermore, the FIR mentioned Suhail Iqbal, son of MLA Iqbal Mahmood, as being present in the crowd on the day the violence broke out. The FIR read, “Suhail Iqbal incited the crowd by saying, ‘Ziaur Rahman Barq is with us, we are also with you. We will not let anything happen to you; fulfil your intentions.’ As a result, the crowd became more violent.”
Barq has been named “Accused No. 1” while Iqbal has been named “Accused No. 2” in the FIR. Seven hundred to eight hundred unidentified individuals have also been booked in the same FIR. According to the FIR, a mob comprising 700–800 armed individuals gathered to disrupt the court-ordered survey at Jama Masjid. The FIR further stated that the mob snatched official weapons from police personnel and targeted the police with intent to kill. It read, “One person from the crowd fired at Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary to kill him. Anuj was shot in the leg and sustained injuries.”
A detailed OpIndia profile of Zia-ur-Rehman Barq can be read here.
Court-ordered survey at Jama Masjid in Sambhal and violence that erupted on 24th November
On 19th November, a court-mandated survey was conducted at Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The court ordered the survey in response to a petition filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, and seven co-plaintiffs, asserting that the mosque occupies the site of a temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The site in question is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904. The survey was carried out under the supervision of the Advocate Commission. A heavy police force was deployed in the area to ensure the survey proceeded peacefully.
However, on 24th November, during the second round of court-mandated survey at Jama Masjid, Islamist mobsters gathered outside the mosque and engaged in violence. They pelted stones at police, opened fire at police personnel and set ablaze vehicles and shops. At least 20 police personnel were injured during violence and four mobsters were killed in the mayhem, likely from illegal guns carried by rioters.
In the aftermath of the Sambhal violence on 24th November, police have clarified that the deaths of three individuals occurred due to firing by rioters, not by the police. Post-mortem reports revealed that two victims were shot with country-made pistols, while the 315-bore bullet was found inside the body of another victim, a type not used by Uttar Pradesh Police. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi stated that the police initially fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob but were fired upon by rioters.
During the survey, however, Muslims living in the area gathered outside the Jama Masjid and raised religious slogans. The District Magistrate of Sambhal confirmed that the survey was completed in around two hours and stated that a report would be submitted to the Civil Court, which will review it on the next date of hearing, 29th November 2024. OpIndia accessed the petition filed by the plaintiffs in the case.
As of now, the Supreme Court of India has stayed the hearing in the District Court, Sambhal, in response to a plea filed by the Muslim side. Furthermore, the survey report submitted by the Advocate Commissioner has been ordered to be sealed and not to be opened till an order is passed by the High Court in the matter. The next hearing on the matter will be in January 2025. A judicial committee was formed by CM Yogi Adityanath to investigate the cause of the violence.
OpIndia’s detailed report on a petition filed at the court can be checked here.
