Last update:November 24, 2024, 9:12 p.m. IST

Shortly after the clashes, which included stone throwing, the local administration banned the sale or collection of stones, soda bottles and flammable or explosive objects in the area.

Police try to control the situation amid violence during a court-ordered investigation at the Shahi Jama mosque in Sambhal on November 24. (Image: PTI)

Three people were killed and many others injured in clashes between police and protesters, sparked by a court-ordered probe into the Shahi Jama Masjid mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday.

Police said there was currently peace in the area. However, internet services were suspended for 24 hours as a precautionary measure. The district administration further declared a public holiday on Monday, November 25, for all students up to class 12. Soon after the clashes, which included incidents of stone pelting, selling or collecting of stones, bottles soda, flammable or explosive objects have also been banned. in the region.

According to police, the three deceased have been identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman. Preparations were underway for their autopsy, they said.

Police said shots were fired by miscreants as protesters set vehicles on fire and threw stones at security personnel, and that they used tear gas and batons to discharge them. According to them, a police commissioner was shot in the leg, the circle police officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 police officers were injured in the violence.

Officials said a constable sustained serious head injuries while the deputy collector suffered a fractured leg. Fifteen people, including two women, were arrested and an investigation was opened, they said.

“We are investigating the location from where the shots were fired, particularly in the Deepa Sarai area,” an official said, adding that the accused will be booked under the strict security law. national (NSA).

Sambhal has been tense since November 19, when the Mughal-era mosque was inspected on the orders of a local court following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site. On Sunday morning, the local administration said, a second investigation led by a “commissioner lawyer” began around 7 a.m.

HOW DID THE VIOLENCE OCCUR?

The unrest began in the morning when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and began shouting slogans as the investigation team began its work. District officials said the survey was scheduled for the morning to avoid interference with mosque prayers, which usually take place in the afternoon.

“The investigation was proceeding peacefully until a group of people gathered near the mosque and started raising slogans. When the police tried to clear the area, a group of miscreants in the crowd pelted stones at the police,” Moradabad divisional commissioner said.

He said when the investigation team left, some people started throwing stones. “There were groups on three sides. One from the front, one from the right and one from the left. They continually threw stones. Police used force so that the investigation team could be taken away and escorted safely. Tear gas shells were also fired. Plastic bullets were used,” he added.

The divisional commissioner said those involved in the violence were likely incited by individuals with vested interests aimed at disrupting peace in the area. Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said, “Police used minor force and tear gas to bring the situation under control. »

He said those who indulged in stone pelting and those who instigated it will be identified and action taken against them. “We are in the process of registering an FIR,” he added.

District magistrate Rajendra Pesia said, “Some miscreants resorted to stone pelting, but the situation is peaceful now. Around ten people were arrested in connection with the stone-throwing incident. They are questioned. »

Uttar Pradesh Police Chief Prashant Kumar said PTI that the situation was under control in Sambhal. “We monitor everything. All police and civil administration officials are managing the situation on site. They patrol these areas. The anti-social elements will be identified very soon and strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

Additional police units have been deployed near the mosque to ensure public order and authorities are closely monitoring the situation. On Saturday (November 23), the Sambhal district administration bound 34 people under bail of up to Rs 10 lakh amid fears of breach of the peace.

Pesia, however, said the investigation was carried out despite the violence and the entire process was filmed and photographed. The team, under the guidance of a “lawyer commission,” will present its report to the court on November 29.

WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OPPOSITION SAY?

Reacting to the violence, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said strict action would be taken against those who disrupt law and order and obstruct the judicial process.

The opposition, meanwhile, lashed out at the BJP, with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav saying the ruling party, government and administration “orchestrated the violence to divert attention from bad electoral practices.

“A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A fact-finding team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt the election discussions. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could take place. I don’t want to get into the legal or procedural aspects, but the other side hasn’t even been heard. This was done intentionally to provoke emotions and avoid discussions about election rigging,” he said at a press conference in Lucknow.

He added, “What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices. »

Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq had opposed the development. “The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historic and very old. The Supreme Court ordered in 1991 that whatever religious places are there, in whatever state since 1947, they will remain in their place,” he had said.

WHAT IS THE DISPUTE?

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, said the Court of Civil Judge (upper division) had ordered the constitution of a “defense commission” to probe the mosque.

Jain had said the court had sought filing of a report after conducting a video and photographic investigation through the commission. The central and state governments, the mosque committee and the Sambhal district magistrate were parties to the mosque petition, he had said.

He and his father Hari Shankar Jain represented the Hindu side in many cases relating to places of worship, including the dispute between the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer of the Hindu side, told PTI on November 22 (Friday) that in his petition filed in the court, he mentioned that ‘Baburnama’ and ‘Ain-e-Akbari’ had confirmed that a Harihar temple was on the site where the Jama Masjid currently stands. He also claimed that the temple was demolished by the Mughal emperor Babur in 1529.

(With PTI inputs)

Location :

Uttar Pradesh, India