The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has ordered a judicial inquiry into the recent incident of violence in Sambhal in which at least four persons lost their lives.
As per the order of the Uttar Pradesh Home Department, a three-member committee headed by retired High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora has been handed the responsibility of conducting an investigation into the matter.
The two other members of the committee are retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad and former IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain.
An official said that the committee had been directed to submit its report within two months.
The order to constitute the committee was issued by the Home Department of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
The order read: “It is necessary to investigate in the public interest whether the incident of violence that took place on November 24, 2024, during the survey ordered by the Court in the Jama Masjid vs Harihar Mandir dispute was a pre-planned conspiracy or a normal criminal incident, due to which several police personnel were injured, four persons died and property was also damaged.”
Tension mounted in Sambhal on November 24 during the second survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid after locals pelted stones at the police team.
A second survey, as part of a court-ordered examination into the disputed site, began around 7 a.m. and a crowd began gathering at the spot.
At first, the crowd just shouted slogans, and then, some people started pelting stones at the police, Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said.
According to the police, there were three groups of stone pelters, operating from three directions, and began the pelting as the survey team was coming out.
The team was later safely escorted out of the area.
Meanwhile, some of the attackers tried to vandalise and set afire vehicles, and firing broke out in which the three youths were killed and several policemen and officials injured.
On November 24, Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Painsia said: “The survey was being conducted according to court orders. Last time, the survey could not be completed, and a slot of 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. was chosen today as no namaz is offered during this time and the process can be completed peacefully. The survey was on peacefully, there was no disruption. Jamia Committee was cooperating in the process,” he said.
However, some miscreants outside pelted stones at the police, he said.
The Supreme Court had ordered a survey after a petition was filed stating that the mosque was originally the Harihar temple.
Petitioner Vishnu Shankar Jain contended that Mughal Emperor Babar razed the Harihar temple to build the mosque.
