Sambhal violence: Police arrest Shahi Jama Masjid committee chief Zafar Ali

NEW DELHI: Shahi

Jama Masjid

committee president Zafar Ali was arrested on Sunday in connection with the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on November 24 last year over a

court-ordered survey

of the mosque.

Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Bishnoi confirmed to PTI that Ali had been arrested but did not elaborate further.
Zafar Ali's elder brother Tahir Ali alleged that the police were "deliberately" sending his sibling to jail before his testimony could be recorded before a judicial panel on Monday. The panel has been appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the violence.

'Ready to go to jail'

"Around 11.15am, an inspector and the investigating officer (of the case) came to our house, saying that CO (circle officer) Kuldeep Singh wanted to talk. He had spoken with us last night as well. Zafar was supposed to testify before the commission tomorrow and that is why they are deliberately sending him to jail," the brother told reporters.
He further said, "Zafar has already given his statement in a press conference and he will not retract it. He had clearly said that the police fired shots, and those who died were killed by police bullets."
Asked what conversation he had with Zafar Ali before being taken away by police, Tahir Ali said, "He told me, 'No problem, I am ready to go to jail. I will not back down from the truth'."
He accused the Sambhal administration of deliberately inciting public unrest. "The authorities do not want the tension to ease. We are trying to restore peace, but all police officers and senior officials here are provoking further discord," he claimed.
Earlier in the day, the Special Investigation Team of Sambhal police had taken Ali into custody to record his statement.

Mughal-era mosque

The Mughal-era mosque has been at the center of a significant controversy following claims that it was built on the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The violence during protests against a court-ordered survey of the mosque resulted in four fatalities and numerous injuries, including among police personnel.
The November 24 incident led to widespread unrest, with protestors clashing with police, throwing stones, and setting vehicles ablaze. The police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd. In total, the SIT has filed a chargesheet exceeding 4,000 pages across six of the twelve cases related to this violence, naming 159 individuals as accused.
The chargesheet also revealed that weapons recovered from the scene were manufactured in countries including the United Kingdom and Germany.
Reports indicate that Ali was among the first to receive information about the survey, which sparked protests that escalated into violence as locals gathered outside the mosque.

All calm in Sambhal

Since the initial outbreak of violence, Sambhal has remained relatively calm, with no further incidents reported. In anticipation of upcoming celebrations, including Holi, local authorities have maintained a heavy police presence and conducted flag marches to ensure public safety.
During this period, residents celebrated Holi peacefully alongside Friday prayers at the mosque.
Circle Officer Anuj Chowdhary had led a flag march along with other police personnel to ensure the law and order situation in the district before Holi. Other than police, paramilitary forces also conducted a flag march in Sambhal, whereas the administration is using drones for proper monitoring of the situation in the district.
The act of whitewashing the Jama masjid, a regular affair was also done after a court order.
Talking about the whitewashing on March 16, Zafar Ali stated that they will try to complete the whitewashing task as per the court orders. The Jama Masjid Sadar Chief stated that the

Archaeological Survey of India

(ASI) has undertaken the work and appointed all labour.