In connection with the November 24 violence at Sambhal, the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday arrested the president of Shahi Jama Masjid, Zafar Ali. When asked where SIT took Zafar Ali for recording his statement to the media person, the news agency, SIT in charge, Anuj Kumar Tomar, said that Zafar Ali had not been arrested but taken into custody by the SIT for recording his statement. Tomar confirmed it was the November 24 violence case of which he was being questioned and confirmed connecting the two.
After a petition claimed that the mosque stands where an ancient Hindu temple once stood, the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid has been at the centre of tensions that grew. The protests over the dispute became large-scale, and the situation escalated on November 24 of the same year when violence flared during a court-ordered survey of the mosque. The unrest caused four people to die and at least a couple of others to be injured, including the police personnel tasked with maintaining order.
Since then, the Uttar Pradesh Police have been conducting extensive inquiries into the incident. Reportedly, the SIT has already filed a 4,000-page or more plus charge sheet in six of the twelve cases of the violence. The charge sheet slaps 159 accused heads, both Indian and outsiders. The SIT report, in a startling revelation, says that several of the weapons found at the scene of violence and other related places were made in countries UK, the US, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Things are sensitive in Sambhal and the atmosphere is on security watch. Zafar Ali was questioned about what, if anything, would come next in the coming days.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News