Sambhal mosque panel chief booked under multiple charges with provision for life in jail

The Chairman of the Managing Committee of Shahi Jama Masjid, Sambhal, Zafar Ali, was arrested on Sunday in connection with the violent clashes that erupted in the town on November 24, 2024. His arrest follows a detailed investigation into the events that transpired during and after the violence, which had left four people dead and dozens injured, including 29 police personnel.

Authorities have charged Zafar Ali under nearly a dozen sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with some of these charges carrying provisions for life imprisonment. Among these, Sections 230 and 231 of the BNS stand out, as they relate to the crime of giving or fabricating false evidence and intentionally causing someone’s wrongful conviction—offenses that could result in the harshest of penalties under the law

 

Apart from Zafar Ali, several political figures have been booked in connection with the November 24 violence. This includes Zia ur Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, and Sohail Iqbal, the son of six-time SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, who also holds the position of Deputy Leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

Both Barq and Iqbal, along with several others, were named in the FIR registered by a police officer following the violent incidents that occurred outside the mosque. The violence had reportedly erupted amid growing tensions surrounding a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, which aimed to determine whether a Hindu temple previously existed at the site.

Zafar Ali, who had been under police surveillance for several months, was summoned for questioning at the Sambhal Kotwali police station on Sunday. After being interrogated for approximately four hours, he was officially placed under arrest and later produced before a Chandausi court, which ordered his two-day remand.

As he was being taken into custody, Ali strongly denied the allegations against him, claiming that he had been falsely implicated in the case.

“I did not incite the people to commit violence on November 24. I am being targeted simply because I held a press conference on November 26 and stated that the deaths during the violence occurred due to police firing,” Ali told reporters while being escorted to Moradabad jail.

Authorities allege that Zafar Ali played a critical role in organizing and mobilizing people ahead of the violence. His actions before and during the November 24 clashes are now under scrutiny by investigators.

According to police reports:

• On November 19, Ali allegedly informed certain individuals, labeled by the police as “miscreants,” about the survey team’s planned visit to the Shahi Jama Masjid. This led to large-scale protests on that day, preventing the team from completing its task.
• On November 24, when the survey team returned, Ali was inside the mosque at the time. Police claim that his actions enabled a large crowd to gather outside, which eventually turned violent.

Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar had earlier stated that Ali’s role in alerting and mobilizing people was being closely investigated.

Meanwhile, Sambhal Additional SP Shirish Chand revealed that Zafar Ali had been on the police’s radar since the very day of the violence.

“This is precisely why we had detained him for interrogation last year. At the time, due to a lack of conclusive evidence, we had to release him. However, we have been collecting more concrete and clinching evidence since then, leading to his arrest now,” Chand stated.

Ali’s elder brother, Tahir, has strongly condemned the arrest, claiming that it was part of a larger political conspiracy aimed at silencing his brother.

According to Tahir, the arrest was strategically timed to prevent Zafar Ali from appearing before the judicial commission that had been set up to investigate the Sambhal violence.

“My brother was arrested just a day before he was supposed to present his testimony in front of the judicial commission. The authorities fear that his statement would expose uncomfortable truths about the police’s role in the incident,” he alleged.

He further reaffirmed his brother’s stance, stating that Zafar Ali would not back down from his claim that the deaths during the violence were caused by police firing.

“We will fight this legally and challenge his arrest in the Allahabad High Court,” Tahir added.

As part of the ongoing probe, a total of 80 individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the Sambhal violence case. Among them, three are women.

Despite multiple pleas for bail, not a single person arrested in the case has been granted release so far.

Authorities maintain that their investigation is still active, and further arrests could be made in the coming days as they continue to gather digital evidence, testimonies, and forensic reports.

With political tensions rising over the case, the judicial commission’s findings and further court proceedings will be crucial in determining the ultimate course of action for those accused, including Zafar Ali and the prominent political leaders named in the case.