3 killed as protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent

Sambhal, UP: Protesters opposing a court-ordered assessment of a Mughal-era mosque here clashed with police on Sunday, leaving three people killed and scores more injured, including approximately 20 security personnel. Protesters set fire to vehicles and threw stones at police, who dispersed the crowd with tear gas and batons.

"Shots were fired by the miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the police circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence," Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said, PTI reported.

He said that a constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.

Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site.

"Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed," Singh said, adding that preparations were underway for their post-mortem examination.

Ten people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, an official said, adding some people even set afire some motorcycles parked on the roadside.

"We are investigating where the shots were fired from, particularly in the Deepa Sarai area," the official said.

He added that the accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

The trouble started on Sunday morning when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began their work in the Shahi Jama Masjid.

District officials said the survey was planned in the morning to avoid interference with the mosque prayers that are usually held in the afternoon.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP, saying the ruling party, government and the administration orchestrated the violence "to divert attention from electoral malpractice".

According to the local administration, a second survey by an "Advocate Commissioner" as part of a court-ordered examination into the disputed site started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering there.

"The survey was proceeding peacefully until a group of people gathered near the mosque and began raising slogans. When the police attempted to clear the area, a group of miscreants in the crowd started pelting stones at the police," said the Moradabad divisional commissioner.

He said the people involved in the violence were likely incited by individuals with vested interests aiming to disrupt peace in the area.

Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said, "The police used minor force and tear gas to bring the situation under control." He said those who engaged in stone-pelting and those who incited them will be identified and action taken against them.

"We are in the process of registering an FIR," the police officer added.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said, "Some miscreants resorted to stone pelting but the situation is peaceful now. Around 10 people have been detained in connection with the stone-pelting incident. They are being interrogated." Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar told PTI that the situation was under control in Sambhal.

"We are monitoring everything. All police and civil administration officials are handling the situation on the spot. They are patrolling those areas. Anti-social elements will be identified very soon and strict action will be taken against them," the director general of police (DGP) said.

Additional police units have been deployed near the mosque to ensure law and order and officials are closely monitoring the situation.

At a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said, "A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happen." "I don't want to go into the legal or procedural aspects, but the other side was not even heard. This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging," he said.

"What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices," the former UP chief minister alleged.

On Saturday, the Sambhal district administration bound down 34 people on a bond of up to Rs 10 lakh on apprehension of a breach of peace.

Subdivisional Magistrate Vandana Mishra told PTI on Saturday that among the people bound down is Mamlukur Rahman Barq, the father of the Samajwadi Party's Sambhal MP Zia ur Rahman Barq.

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "Advocate Commission" to survey the mosque.

The court has said that a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.

The Central and Uttar Pradesh governments, the mosque committee and the district magistrate of Sambhal have been made parties in the petition concerning the mosque, Jain said last Tuesday.

Vishnu Shankar Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship, including the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, told PTI on Friday that in his petition filed in the court, he mentioned that "Baburnama" and the "Ain-e-Akbari" has confirmed that a Harihar temple was at the site where the Jama Masjid now stands.

He also claimed that the temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.

Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq had objected to the developments. "The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historical and very old. The Supreme Court had given the order in 1991 that whatever religious places are there in whatever condition since 1947, they will remain at their places," he had said.