The short URL of the present article is: https://tirnews.com/6zxo
On Monday, 15 September 2025, the Allahabad High Court will hear a plea by Zafar Ali, chairman of the Sambhal Jama Masjid committee. He is challenging the police charge sheet filed in relation to the violent clashes that took place during a court-ordered survey of the aged Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal. (National Herald)
Key Details:
- The clashes occurred on 24 November 2024, during a survey by an advocate-commissioner of the mosque, which triggered widespread protests. Five people were killed and many injured. (National Herald)
- Zafar Ali was arrested in March 2025 following his name appearing in the investigation, but later obtained bail in July. (National Herald)
- The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted a charge sheet spanning 4,400+ pages across six related cases linked to the violence. (National Herald)
- The accused in the charge sheet include high-profile names: MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, the son of a local MLA Iqbal Mahmood, and Shariq Satha (alleged mastermind). Over 3,750 unnamed persons are also included. (National Herald)
What’s at stake:
- If the High Court upholds Ali’s plea, the charge sheet might be quashed or altered, which could affect how the cases proceed.
- The hearing could have major implications for how property disputes, heritage site surveys, and religious site access are handled in communal contexts.
- The case continues to be symbolic of tensions between legal/historical claims of different communities and state actions such as surveys and law enforcement responses.
