Judicial Panel Probes Sambhal Clashes Over Mosque Survey

A judicial inquiry commission visited Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district, where violent clashes erupted over a court-mandated survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid, resulting in five deaths. The team, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Devendra Kumar Arora, inspected the site alongside Sambhal's District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP).

The commission, comprising Justice Arora, retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain, reviewed the incident with local police and administrative officials. The inquiry seeks to determine whether the violence was a premeditated conspiracy or a spontaneous act, investigating the roles of those involved and assessing the district's arrangements for maintaining law and order.

The panel will submit its findings within two months and propose measures to prevent similar incidents.

Tensions had been simmering since November 19, when a court-ordered survey of the mosque was initiated following claims of a pre-existing Harihar temple at the site. Violence broke out on November 24, with stone pelting and arson reported near the mosque, resulting in five casualties.

The Supreme Court intervened, halting the trial court's mosque survey proceedings until the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee moves the High Court. It directed the High Court to hear the plea within three working days while keeping the matter pending for review in January 2025.

Amid political uproar, the Sambhal administration restricted outsider visits until December 10 to maintain order. Police detained a Samajwadi Party delegation en route to Sambhal, prompting sharp criticism from party chief Akhilesh Yadav.