On November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal after a court-ordered that a survey needs to be conducted at Jama Masjid or Jami Masjid, as a crowd of Muslims gathered and started pelting stones at the police. They resorted to arson and clashed with the police. As a result, the police had to resort to tear gas and mild lathi charge to control the Islamist mob. During this violence, several vehicles were set on fire in the area, and stones were pelted on police for hours.
Islamists Target the Police
This incident commenced at around 6:30 AM when a team, including the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, arrived at the mosque (disputed structure) to conduct the survey. A mob of around 2,000 Muslims gathered outside the mosque and demanded the survey to be halted.
When the police tried to intervene, the mob started pelting stones. Many policemen were injured during this stone pelting. Several vehicles belonging to Sambhal police were set ablaze by the Islamist mob.
Importantly, the survey was being conducted in response to a petition filed by Supreme Court advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, saying that the Jama Masjid was a Hindu temple named Hari Har Mandir, dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The court ordered a survey of the disputed structure, and a brief survey was conducted on November 19. The survey on November 24 was intended as an extension to gather more evidence.
Recent Stone Pelting Incidents On Police by Muslim Mob
- On October 4, 2024, a group of 100-150 unidentified Muslim mob pelted stones at police officers in Ghaziabad, UP
- On September 28, 2024, three policemen were injured in clash with Muslim mob in Bhadrak, Odisha
- On August 12, 2024, A group of Muslim women in Burqa pelted stones on police in Saharanpur, UP, after the arrest of Drug peddler Javed
- On August 12, 2024, two police personals were injured in stone pelting incident by Muslim mob in Chhattarpur, Madhya Pradesh
- On May 14, 2024 a police team, which went with a survey team for survey of an illegal Madrasa was attacked in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- On February 8, 2024, Police team was attacked in Haldwani, Uttarakhand
- On June 16, 2023, a Muslim mob attacked police in Junagadh, Gujarat, when the team went to evict illegal mazar
- On May 18, 2022, Police team was attacked in Mathura, when it went to arrest criminal Noman
- On June 12, 2021, A Muslim mob attacked police station in Mewat, Haryana
Shedding light on the violence unleashed by the mob from the minority community, Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said, “After the survey was completed, three groups started pelting stones from different directions. The mob also set vehicles on fire and opened fire. The police responded with tear gas and plastic bullets to control the situation.”
The police Public Relation Officer (PRO) was shot in the foot during the firing. Deputy Collector too got injured; he fractured his foot. The Circle Officer (CO) also sustained injuries. “A total of three people are confirmed dead in the firing,” he said.
Officials said that an ASI team had arrived at the Jama Masjid to conduct a fresh survey of the structure. When the survey of the mosque was being conducted peacefully – in presence of police force, following the court orders – a mob gathered at the site and started pelting stones at the survey team and security personnel.
“The survey was conducted between 7 AM and 11 AM, as per court directions. The process was initially peaceful with adequate police deployment. However, some people started stone-pelting, and the police dispersed them. Then, a large mob of 2,000-3,000 people gathered and started stone-pelting again,” Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh told.
The survey was part of a legal process following a petition filed by senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who claimed that the mosque was originally a temple. A similar survey was carried out on November 19 in the presence of the local police and members of the mosque’s management committee.
Action against stone pelters
- 27, including three minors, arrested so far in Sambhal violence
- Police release pictures of suspects, authorities plan public posters
- UP Govt to recover damage from rioters
- Multiple FIRs have been registered in the case. One of them named Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal as the key accused
- Sohail Iqbal, son of the party’s local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, is another accused also named in FIR
- The cases have also been filed against over 2,750 unidentified suspects
Speaking to the media, DGP Prashant Kumar said, “A survey is being conducted in Sambhal on the orders of the court. Some anti-social elements have pelted stones. Police and senior officers are present on the spot. The situation is under control, the police will identify the stone pelters and take appropriate legal action.”
Notably, a similar survey was previously conducted on November 19, with local police and members of the mosque’s management committee present to oversee the process. Following the incident, the police appealed to locals in Sambhal to stop pelting stones when a survey team reached Jama Masjid to conduct a survey of the mosque.
Around 20 people were taken into custody following the stone-pelting and clashes. The incident left three people dead and around two dozen others, including policemen and senior officials, injured. Officials said that those responsible for the violence will be charged under the National Security Act (NSA). As a precaution, internet services across the district were suspended for a day.
“We have taken 20 people into custody. The survey was conducted as per court orders, with adequate police deployment at the site. Some individuals made children stand in front and started pelting stones at the police. The police tried to control the situation and also appealed to anti-social elements to maintain peace. They also set some vehicles on fire. The police used anti-riot measures, including tear gas, to disperse the crowd,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Moradabad Range, Muniraj told.
Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said that additional police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. He further said that the alleged firing, in which a police PRO was injured, was done by using a country-made weapon.
“It is very unfortunate…An FIR has been filed under relevant sections, and strict action will be taken under the NSA. We are also investigating whether there was a conspiracy by examining the mobile phones of the people detained in connection with the violence,” the SP added.
