The investigation into the violent clashes that erupted in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, continues, with police making significant headway in apprehending the accused. On January 13, police arrested two absconding suspects, Aamir Ansari and Mohammad Imran, both residents of Mohalla Kotgarbi. The two were implicated in pelting stones at police officials during the unrest and had evaded capture by fleeing to other cities. They were apprehended upon returning to their homes.
Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi confirmed that the identities of Ansari and Imran were established through surveillance footage and videos captured during the violent clashes. So far, 60 individuals, including four women, have been arrested in connection with the violence. However, 89 accused remain at large, and efforts are underway to locate them.
The violence broke out when a court-mandated survey team visited Jama Masjid in Sambhal to conduct the second round of a survey ordered by the District Court. A mob of nearly 900 individuals, chanting religious slogans, gathered at the site, allegedly to disrupt the survey. The situation escalated as the mob began pelting stones at the police, setting vehicles ablaze, and firing at law enforcement officers using locally manufactured firearms.
The clashes resulted in injuries to over 20 police personnel and the deaths of four rioters. Police clarified that the fatalities occurred due to gunfire from the rioters’ country-made weapons, as revealed by post-mortem reports.
Seven First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged against 800 named and unnamed individuals, including two minors. The primary FIR, registered on the complaint of Station House Officer (SHO) Anuj Kumar, invokes numerous sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with provisions from the Arms Act, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
According to the FIR, rioters looted police equipment, including ammunition and firearms. Law enforcement officials were assaulted, and public and private properties were extensively damaged. Despite warnings and the use of water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas, the mob intensified its aggression, prompting a police response to restore order.
The field unit collected physical evidence from the site, including remains of burned items and damaged property. Proper procedures were followed, and the seized items were documented and sealed. Medical care was provided to the injured personnel, and families of arrested individuals were duly informed.
The survey at Jama Masjid was ordered by the Sambhal District Court in response to a petition filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and seven co-plaintiffs. The petition claimed that the mosque was constructed on the site of a temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki, a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904.
The first phase of the survey was completed on November 19, 2024, under heavy police protection. However, during the second phase on November 24, the situation turned volatile. Despite the violence, the survey was completed within two hours, and the findings were submitted to the court.
In the aftermath of the violence, the Supreme Court of India stayed the hearing in the Sambhal District Court following a plea filed by the Muslim community. The Advocate Commissioner’s survey report has been sealed, pending further orders from the High Court. The next hearing is scheduled for January 2025.
Authorities are intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining accused. “The crackdown will continue until all responsible for the violence are brought to justice,” stated SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi. Meanwhile, heightened security measures remain in place in Sambhal to prevent further unrest.
