The Uttar Pradesh Police filed a massive 1,100-page chargesheet before the special MP/MLA court in Chandausi, naming Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rehman Barq and 22 others as prime accused in the Sambhal riots of November 24, 2024. The meticulously prepared chargesheet links the communal violence to a pre-planned conspiracy to obstruct a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid one that spiraled into arson, attempted murder, and the deaths of four people.
Law and order in Uttar Pradesh may have faced the heat that day, but Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration has responded with cold, clinical precision. With arrests, forensic evidence, digital trails, and hundreds of testimonies, the message is unambiguous: No one, not even an elected MP, is above the law.
The Sambhal riots erupted on November 24, 2024, after a civil court in Sambhal ordered an ASI survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, based on a petition by Hindu petitioner Mahant Rishi Raj Giri Maharaj, who claims the mosque was constructed by Babur in 1529 atop a demolished Harihar Temple.
The survey team, accompanied by district officials and police, had conducted a peaceful first visit on November 19. But on the second day of the survey, thousands had gathered by 6 PM. When officials moved to begin the inspection, the crowd turned violent stone pelting, arson, and gunfire followed. Four Muslim youth died in the chaos. Over 30 police and administrative officers including the SP, CO, and SDM were injured, some critically.
According to the chargesheet, this was no spontaneous outburst. It was a carefully coordinated act of rebellion against the judiciary, fed by religious radicalism and political patronage.
The chargesheet filed under Crime No. 335/2024 names:
- Zia ur Rehman Barq, SP Member of Parliament from Sambhal,
- Suhail Iqbal, son of SP MLA Nawab Iqbal Mehmood,
- Zafar Ali Advocate, head of the Jama Masjid,
- Along with 700–800 unidentified individuals, all accused of inciting, orchestrating, or participating in the riots.
MP Barq’s role is particularly damning. On November 23, he is alleged to have called mosque head Zafar Ali and instructed him, “The community will spit on us if we let this happen. The survey must not proceed. Gather the crowd.”
Further, in a speech on November 19, Barq publicly said, “This mosque will remain till the Day of Judgement. I don’t accept the court order. This is our land—we are the owners, not slaves.” The police say this rhetoric served as a clarion call for confrontation. Rather than advise calm, an elected MP challenged a judicial order, invoked religious identity, and provoked mass mobilisation.
Perhaps most chilling are the allegations against Suhail Iqbal, son of SP’s Sambhal MLA Nawab Iqbal Mehmood. He was not just part of the mob—he is accused of instructing rioters to shoot the Circle Officer (CO) during the attack.
An FIR by Inspector Deepak Rathi details how Suhail was seen coordinating the violent mob, inciting people to “take out the police officer” if the survey wasn’t stopped. His role, say police, goes beyond political agitation into direct incitement to murder.
The UP Police SIT has based the chargesheet on solid electronic evidence:
- Video footage capturing inflammatory speeches and riot scenes,
- Call data records (CDRs) between key conspirators,
- Forensic extraction of WhatsApp group chats,
- Testimonies from over 200 eyewitnesses, including injured police personnel.
One SIT officer said: “This isn’t a case against a community. It’s against instigators who misused religious sentiment and political position to undermine the Constitution.” Officials confirmed that the investigation was impartial, evidence-led, and independent of political considerations.
Since November, 90 individuals have been arrested, including three women. Not a single one of them has secured bail. Judge Narayan Rai has rejected 130 bail applications, citing the grave nature of the violence and its systemic planning.
MP Barq was summoned and questioned for four hours on April 8 at Nakhasa Police Station. Earlier, on March 25, the SIT even reached his Delhi residence with a notice—underscoring the seriousness with which the case has been pursued.
Zafar Ali, the mosque head, has also been jailed for his role in coordinating the gathering and disseminating misleading claims about the ASI team desecrating religious space.
The original flashpoint was a petition filed on November 19, 2024, by Mahant Rishi Raj Giri, claiming that the Jama Masjid was constructed over a Hindu temple demolished by Babur in 1529. Within 2.5 hours of filing, Judge Aditya Singh ordered a survey—which was carried out the same evening from 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM.
The second survey on November 24, which triggered the violence, was meant to be a routine legal follow-up. Instead, it became the target of a violent religious-political backlash. Under CM Yogi Adityanath, the message is loud and clear—no one will be spared, regardless of position, religion, or party affiliation. The administration has not just maintained law and order—it has pursued accountability at the highest political levels.
