Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh): In a major development in the Sambhal violence case, a local court has ordered the registration of an FIR against 12 police personnel, including Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anuj Chaudhary.
The order was passed by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vibhanshu Sudhir.
The case relates to allegations of police firing during violence in Sambhal, in which a 24-year-old youth was reportedly shot and seriously injured. The order follows a petition filed by the victim’s father, Yameen, a resident of Khaggu Sarai Anjuman locality under the Nakhasa police station area.
According to the petition, Yameen’s son, Alam, had left his house on November 24, 2024, to sell rusk (toast). When he reached the Shahi Jama Masjid area, police allegedly opened fire during the violence, hitting him and leaving him critically injured.
On behalf of Yameen, 10 to 12 policemen, including the then CO Sambhal Anuj Chaudhary and Sambhal Kotwali Inspector Anuj Tomar, were made respondents. According to the petition, the client’s son received treatment while hiding from the police and demanded registration of an FIR against former CO Anuj Chaudhary, former Inspector Anuj Tomar, and other unidentified police personnel.
The petitioner named the then Circle Officer (CO) of Sambhal, Anuj Chaudhary, Sambhal Kotwali Inspector Anuj Tomar, and other police personnel as accused in the case. The matter was heard by the CJM court on January 9, 2026, after which the court directed that an FIR be registered against all the named police officials.
At the time of the incident, Anuj Chaudhary was posted as CO Sambhal. He is currently serving as ASP (Rural) in Firozabad district.
On November 24, 2024, the violence broke out during a court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a 500-year-old mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The survey had been ordered following claims that the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple allegedly demolished during the Mughal era.
While the initial survey had proceeded without incident, tensions flared during the second survey when the mosque’s wuzu khana (ablution tank) was drained, reportedly to check its depth, sparking rumours that the mosque was being dug up. As per information, after the Sambhal violence, the police had arrested 79 rioters, including three women. A total of 12 separate FIRs related to the violence were registered at Sambhal Kotwali and Nakhasa police stations.
(IANS)
