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Sambhal violence was 'pre-planned conspiracy', judicial panel names SP MP
In a town in India called Sambhal, something sad happened in November 2024.
Many people were upset because a court asked officials to inspect a very old mosque called the Shahi Jama Masjid.
Some people claimed the mosque might have been built on top of an older Hindu temple.
A big crowd gathered near the mosque and clashed with police.
Several people died, and many others, including police officers, were hurt.
The state government asked a special group of experts to investigate what happened.
The group wrote a very long report with all its findings.
The report said the violence was planned ahead of time, not sudden.
It said the local officials and police did nothing wrong, and that the bullets that killed people did not come from police weapons.
It blamed a member of parliament named Zia-ur-Rahman Barq and some other people for encouraging the crowd.
A judicial commission concluded the November 2024 Sambhal violence was a 'pre-planned conspiracy' and not spontaneous.
The panel named Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, MLA Iqbal Mahmood's son Suhail Iqbal, and mosque committee office bearers as responsible for inciting the mob.
The report gave the district administration and police a clean chit, finding the deaths were not caused by police firing and citing a forensic ballistic examination.
Violence broke out on November 24, 2024, near the Shahi Jama Masjid during a court-ordered, ASI-monitored survey of the 16th-century mosque.
The report was submitted in August 2025 and tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday; sources differ on the death toll (four or five) and the report's page count (370, 400, 450 or 854).
- Who
- A judicial commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Devendra Kumar Arora held Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, MLA Iqbal Mahmood's son Suhail Iqbal, and mosque committee office bearers responsible for inciting the mob, while giving the district administration and police a clean chit.
- What
- The commission's report found the November 2024 Sambhal violence was a 'pre-planned conspiracy' and not spontaneous, concluded the deaths were not caused by police firing, and alleged Barq gave provocative speeches comparing the situation to the Ayodhya dispute.
- Where
- Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India, near the Shahi Jama Masjid.
- When
- The clashes occurred on November 24, 2024; the report was submitted in August 2025 and tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
- Why
- Clashes broke out during protests against a court-ordered, ASI-monitored survey of the 16th-century mosque, ordered after a petition claimed it was built over the site of an earlier Hindu temple (the Harihar temple).
Judicial commission's findings
Accused and affected community
Cause of the deaths
Judicial commission's findings
The panel concluded the deaths were not caused by police firing, citing the FSL ballistic examination and a reconstruction report, and said police did not use firearms despite attacks.
Accused and affected community
Locals alleged that four of the five persons killed died in police firing during the clashes, according to The Indian Express.
Purpose of the mosque survey
Judicial commission's findings
The court-ordered survey was limited to issues of maintenance and public access under the Ancient Monuments Act, after a petition claimed the mosque was built over an earlier Hindu temple.
Accused and affected community
Misinformation circulated within the Muslim community claimed the survey was a pretext to seize or demolish the mosque, creating fear, confusion and opposition.
Responsibility for the clashes
Judicial commission's findings
The panel said the violence was pre-planned and primarily the result of abetment by Barq, Suhail Iqbal and mosque management members, driven by political ambitions and a desire to retain influence.
Accused and affected community
Barq has denied the allegations, saying he was in Bengaluru at the time of the clashes; ThePrint could not reach Barq or MLA Iqbal Mahmood for comment.
Key facts
- Date of violence
- November 24, 2024
- Location
- Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Casualties
- Most reports say four dead and dozens injured; The Indian Express reported five dead; 28 police personnel injured, including seven with bullet injuries
- Trigger
- Protests against a court-ordered, ASI-monitored survey of the 16th-century Shahi Jama Masjid
- Key finding
- Violence was 'pre-planned and not spontaneous' — a 'pre-planned conspiracy'; the deaths were not caused by police firing
- People held responsible
- SP MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, Suhail Iqbal (son of MLA Iqbal Mahmood), and mosque committee members including Zafar Ali, Mashhood Ali Farooqui and Laddan Khan
- Report details
- Submitted in August 2025; page count reported variously as 370, 400, 450 and 854; tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday
- Demographic observation
- Report says Sambhal's Hindu population fell from about 45% at Independence to around 15%; Muslims now about 85%
Quotes
Yogi Adityanath
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
“The report had revealed how a conspiracy behind the 2024 Sambhal riots unfolded.”
news18.com
Sources
Sambhal violence: ‘Pre-planned’ clashes, 4 deaths and what the judicial panel found
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