Sambhal violence: Police take Jama Masjid Committee chief Zafar Ali into custody to record statement | India News
The Special Investigation Team of Sambhal police on Sunday took Zafar Ali, the president of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, into custody to record his statement in connection with the violence that eruted in the district on November 24.
The Mughal-era mosque has been at the center of a significant controversy following claims that it was built on the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The violence during protests against a court-ordered survey of the mosque resulted in four fatalities and numerous injuries, including among police personnel.
Sambhal Kotwali in-charge Anuj Kumar Tomar confirmed that Ali was not formally arrested but was taken into custody for recording his statement regarding the events of November 24.
Reports indicate that Ali was among the first to receive information about the survey, which sparked protests that escalated into violence as locals gathered outside the mosque.
The November 24 incident led to widespread unrest, with protestors clashing with police, throwing stones, and setting vehicles ablaze. The police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd. In total, the SIT has filed a chargesheet exceeding 4,000 pages across six of the twelve cases related to this violence, naming 159 individuals as accused.
The chargesheet also revealed that weapons recovered from the scene were manufactured in countries including the United Kingdom and Germany.
All calm in Sambhal
Since the initial outbreak of violence, Sambhal has remained relatively calm, with no further incidents reported. In anticipation of upcoming celebrations, including Holi, local authorities have maintained a heavy police presence and conducted flag marches to ensure public safety.
During this period, residents celebrated Holi peacefully alongside Friday prayers at the mosque.
Circle Officer Anuj Chowdhary had led a flag march along with other police personnel to ensure the law and order situation in the district before Holi. Other than police, paramilitary forces also conducted a flag march in Sambhal, whereas the administration is using drones for proper monitoring of the situation in the district.
The act of whitewashing the Jama masjid, a regular affair was also done after a court order.
Talking about the whitewashing on March 16, Zafar Ali stated that they will try to complete the whitewashing task as per the court orders. The Jama Masjid Sadar Chief stated that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has undertaken the work and appointed all labour.
