The Sambhal violence case reaches a legal crossroads
Following a bold order by a CJM to register FIRs against police officers accused of killing civilians in the 2024 Sambhal violence, questions linger around a transfer, a High Court stay, and the tensions of criminal procedure.
Published on: 17 February 2026, 03:46 pm
ON FEBRUARY 10, the Allahabad High Court stayed the operation of an order passed by the then Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate (‘CJM’) directing the registration of an FIR against Additional Superintendent of Police Anuj Chaudhary and other police officials in connection with the Sambhal violence of November 2024.
A single-judge bench of Justice Samit Gopal passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by Chaudhary, the former Sambhal Circle Officer and former Sambhal Kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar. The High Court noted that the complainant, Yameen, father of one of five persons killed in the Sambhal violence, had failed to produce any relevant document or even make a specific pleading to show that he had approached the officer in charge of the concerned police station with information about the commission of a cognisable offence, or that such officer had refused or neglected to register an FIR.
The High Court granted the original complainant fourteen days to file a counter-affidavit. The stay on the impugned order will remain in force until then.
The police fired tear gas and, according to residents, live bullets. The incident resulted in the deaths of five Muslims.
Memories of the Sambhal violence
In November 2024, amidst a growing number of legal disputes over religious sites, violence erupted in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on the day of a court-ordered survey of the five-hundred years old Shahi Jama Masjid. In May 2022, then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed during hearings related to the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 does not bar inquiries into the religious character of a site as it stood on August 15, 1947. Subsequently, these remarks were cited in several petitions seeking surveys of mosques across the country.
On the morning of November 24, 2024, in Sambhal, the survey team returned to the Shahi Jama Masjid to resume its work. By 7.30 AM, a large crowd had gathered, leading to clashes with the police. The police fired tear gas and, according to residents, live bullets. The incident resulted in the deaths of five Muslims. While the police denied using lethal force and claimed they only used pellet guns, local MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq alleged that some officers fired from their personal weapons and even set their own vehicles on fire.
Seven FIRs were registered by the police, naming Barq and around 2,500 unidentified persons, accusing them of rioting, attempt to murder, and obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties. The BJP attributed the violence to alleged rivalry between Turkic and Pathan Muslim communities, a claim that has been contested. One FIR alleged that unknown persons belonging to the Turkic community opened fire with intent to kill.