Sambhal panel calls mosque survey violence a planned conspiracy

A judicial commission appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government, headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, has concluded that the violence in Sambhal on 24 November 2024 was a 'calculated criminal conspiracy' aimed at obstructing a court-ordered survey of the disputed Jama Masjid-Hari Har Mandir site, and not a spontaneous outbreak, according to a report tabled in the state assembly and covered by Hindustan Times. The panel, which also included retired officials Amit Mohan Prasad and Arvind Kumar Jain, examined witness statements, FIRs, post-mortem and forensic evidence, concluding that stone-pelting, firing on security personnel and arson followed the survey's second round, in which four civilians died and several people, including police personnel, were injured.

Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq called the findings 'wrong' and accused the government of using the report to polarise voters ahead of assembly elections due early next year. BJP MLA Rajesh Chaudhary called the report 'fact-based' and accused the SP of evading it because local leaders were implicated.