Stone pelters involved in the November 24 violence in Sambhal, which erupted in protest against the court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid, are facing repeated setbacks in securing bail. The district court has rejected 13 more bail applications, bringing the total number of denials to 78. Due to the strong advocacy by the police, courts have consistently refused to grant bail, citing the severity of the charges and the potential risk of further unrest.
So far, the police have arrested and sent to jail 80 stone pelters, including notorious members of the Shariq Sata gang such as Mulla Afroz, Ghulam, and Waris. Of these, 19 individuals have remained in jail since November 25. Law enforcement continues to identify, arrest, and present suspects before the court, which has remanded each accused to judicial custody.
In an effort to apprehend those still at large, authorities have placed posters featuring images of 74 suspects at key locations across the town, including on the disputed mosque’s wall. The images, sourced from CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, and other materials, are part of the police’s efforts to track down those who fled following the crackdown. Many accused individuals abandoned their homes and are believed to have settled in nearby districts with their families.
Police to attach properties of over 70 accused
To intensify pressure on the fugitives, the Sambhal district police are preparing to approach the local court to initiate the legal process of attaching their properties. “Most of the accused we are trying to trace have settled in nearby districts after abandoning their homes since last November. We will soon seek court approval to attach their properties in the hope that they will be forced to surrender, allowing us to complete our investigation,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime) Kuldeep Kumar.
The violence in Sambhal resulted in four deaths and multiple injuries, including to law enforcement officers. The clashes saw rioters pelting stones at security forces, torching police and private vehicles, and engaging in widespread vandalism. For over a month, the accused have been attempting to secure bail through their legal representatives, but the courts remain unconvinced due to the gravity of the case and the potential risk of further disruptions.
The attachment process will commence against individuals named in the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed at the Nakhasa police station. So far, non-bailable warrants have been issued against 24 named suspects, but only nine have been arrested. Legal proceedings are being intensified against 15 more fugitives.
On February 21, the Sambhal police submitted a chargesheet for six out of the twelve FIRs related to the riots. Interestingly, Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rehman Barq and Sohail Iqbal, the son of local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, were not named in these initial charge sheets. However, both were booked on November 26, with accusations that the MP incited violence through provocative speeches and actively participated in the mob attacks against police personnel and public property.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has prepared a comprehensive 4,025-page chargesheet, which was submitted to the court of Judicial Magistrate Archana Singh. Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar confirmed that a separate chargesheet against Zia ur Rehman Barq will be filed soon, pending further investigation into WhatsApp messages and other digital evidence linked to the case.
One of the most alarming revelations in the investigation was the recovery of weapons and ammunition with markings indicating that they were manufactured in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. This has raised serious concerns about the potential involvement of external elements in the Sambhal violence.
“No innocent person will be persecuted, but all those directly or indirectly involved in the violence will be held accountable. We have identified the accused through CCTV footage, posters, and the statements of those already arrested, who provided us with information about local figures who incited them to gather at the site,” said SP Kumar.
The chargesheet covers incidents including attacks on police officers and administrative officials, as well as a case where rioters set a police vehicle ablaze. Among those injured in the clashes were Sanjeev Suman, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Superintendent of Police, and Anuj Chaudhary, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Kotwali, both of whom suffered pellet injuries. Additionally, Umesh Yadav, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), sustained a leg fracture amid heavy stone-pelting.
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