UP Mosque Violence: Three Shot Dead, Survey Team Revisits Site
Following a survey team’s arrival to a mosque in Sambhal, western Uttar Pradesh to conduct an inspection at the request of a local court, three people were killed and at least twenty police officers were injured in clashes on Sunday.
After three men were killed and numerous others including security and administrative staff were hurt in a violent protest by protesters against a court ordered survey of a mosque from the Mughal era, The Sambhal’s district administration issued prohibitory orders and prohibited outsiders from entering until November 30.
According to Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, the three deaths were shot during the clashes.
“Three men were killed, primarily due to bullet wounds, while around 20 police personnel, including the SP’s public relations officer, sustained injuries from bullet fragments and have been admitted to a local hospital,” said Singh.
The dead were identified as Numan from Hayat Nagar in Sambhal, Bilal from Sarai Tareen and Naeem from Kot Kurvi area. Following an autopsy their bodies were given to their relatives Sunday night as per the officials. All three were aged about 25.
On Sunday, protesters against the Jama Masjid survey battled with security forces in the district causing violence. While the security guards used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, the demonstrators set cars on fire and threw stones at the police.
According to Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya, schools and Internet services have been closed in the area for a full day. Additionally, prohibitions have been put in place.
When a court appointed advocate commissioner and six members of his team entered the mosque for a second survey at around seven in the morning, a clash broke out. After a priest filed an application asserting that a temple had formerly been located at the location of the mosque and had been destroyed in the 16th century, the court ordered the first survey to be carried out on November 19.
Following the filing of the suit on November 19 in the afternoon, Aditya Singh, the Civil Judge (Senior Division) appointed an advocate commissioner and instructed him to conduct an initial inspection at the mosque which was completed the same day. Additionally, the court ordered that a survey report be submitted to it by November 29.
According to Divisional Commissioner Singh, the second survey was carried out on Sunday between 7 and 11 a.m under court orders.
The Opposition parties targeted the state government. Pawan Khera, the chairman of the Congress media and publicity department mentioned in a statement that footage of the incident showed demonstrators getting fired at. “Western UP, which has been a symbol of goodwill and harmony for years, today witnessed three people killed and many injured under a well planned conspiracy,” he said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the Supreme Court to immediately “take cognizance of the conspiracy of spreading tension in the name of survey”. He blamed that the BJP government and its administration “orchestrated the violence to divert attention from electoral malpractice”.
