PIL Filed in Allahabad High Court Seeking CBI Probe Into Sambhal Violence

Sambhal: The unrest in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, has prompted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to be filed in the Allahabad High Court on Thursday, demanding a CBI investigation into the causes of the violence. Anand Prakash Tiwari, who filed the PIL through his lawyers Imran Ullah and Vineet Sankalp, demands a thorough inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to uncover the reasons behind the protests that led to the tragic deaths of five individuals and left several others injured, including over 20 police personnel.

The petition seeks the CBI’s investigation to identify and probe the individuals who were responsible for organising and inciting the protests in Sambhal. The petition urges the court to direct the CBI to carry out a comprehensive investigation and submit its findings within a designated time frame.

The petitioner has further requested that the court appoint a committee of officers from the central investigating agency, operating beyond the jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh government, to examine the role of the state government and its administrative officers in the incident near Jama Masjid, Chandausi, in Sambhal district.

Additionally, the PIL calls for a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a retired High Court judge, to investigate the role of the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner, Sambhal District Magistrate (DM), and Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP)

It seeks to include other officers under the ambit of the investigation for their alleged actions in managing the unrest and violence near Jama Masjid on November 24.

Police personnel continue to keep vigil after violence broke out during a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque, in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh.

The PIL raises concerns about possible administrative negligence and the alleged controversial role of local authorities in the protests.

It also suggests that guidelines be framed regarding the responsibilities of district authorities during future court-ordered surveys of religious monuments or sites.

Notably, the protests in Sambhal turned violent on November 24 after a team led by a court-appointed advocate commissioner surveyed the Mughal-era Jama Masjid, as ordered by a local court. The court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal's Kot Garvi area stemmed from a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the mosque’s location, sparking a confrontation.