Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Sambhal violence report names Samajwadi leaders, alleges larger conspiracy
In Sambhal, a city in India, four young people died during a fight near a very old mosque called Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24, 2024.
A judge had ordered people to check the mosque because some people claimed it was built where a temple used to stand.
While the survey was happening, a big fight broke out between the crowd and the police.
The police said people threw stones and fired guns, but some residents said the police fired at them first.
The government of Uttar Pradesh asked a special team to study what happened.
That team now says the violence was part of a bigger plan and blames two leaders from the Samajwadi Party for starting the trouble.
The report also says the bullets that killed the four young people did not come from police guns.
The Samajwadi Party and some Muslim leaders disagree and give a very different story about what really happened.
The Uttar Pradesh government tabled a judicial inquiry report in the Assembly claiming the November 24, 2024 Sambhal violence was part of a "larger conspiracy."
The report names Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur Rahman Barq and Suhail Iqbal, son of MLA Iqbal Mahmood, among those who allegedly instigated the mob.
Four youths died in the violence, and the report claims the fatal bullets were not fired from police weapons.
Muslim leaders and residents alleged police and a mob chanting "Jai Sri Ram" accompanied the survey team and that police fired without provocation; police said the mob pelted stones and fired at the crowd.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav alleged the BJP "deliberately" lost Assembly bypolls in Bankipur and Datia to deflect criticism over the electoral process.
- Who
- The Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath, the judicial commission headed by retired Justice Devendra Kumar Arora, Samajwadi Party leaders Zia-ur Rahman Barq and Akhilesh Yadav, police, and Sambhal residents.
- What
- A judicial inquiry report was tabled in the Assembly naming Samajwadi Party leaders and alleging the Sambhal mosque violence was part of a "larger conspiracy."
- When
- The violence occurred on November 24, 2024; the report was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday (exact date not specified in the article).
- Where
- Near the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, India; the report was tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
- Why
- Violence erupted during a court-ordered survey of the mosque, which Hindu petitioners claim was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after demolishing a temple — a claim the mosque committee denies.
Government / BJP Perspective
Samajwadi Party / Opposition Perspective
Instigation and conspiracy
Government / BJP Perspective
The judicial report says the violence was part of a "larger conspiracy" and that Samajwadi Party leaders Zia-ur Rahman Barq and Suhail Iqbal instigated the mob.
Samajwadi Party / Opposition Perspective
Muslim leaders and residents say the court-appointed survey team was accompanied by senior police and administrative officers and a mob chanting "Jai Sri Ram", and the Opposition accuses the BJP of communal hatred.
Police firing and deaths
Government / BJP Perspective
Police said the mob pelted them with stones and fired at the crowd, and the report claims the bullets that killed four people were not fired from police weapons.
Samajwadi Party / Opposition Perspective
Residents claimed police opened fire on them without any immediate provocation, killing four youths.
History of the mosque
Government / BJP Perspective
Hindu petitioners claim Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had the mosque built after demolishing a temple, prompting the court-ordered survey.
Samajwadi Party / Opposition Perspective
The mosque committee refutes the claim, saying Mughal emperor Babur ordered his chieftain Meer Beg to build the shrine in the 16th century.
- Incident
- Violence near Shahi Jama Masjid during a court-ordered survey
- Date of violence
- November 24, 2024
- Deaths
- 4 youths
- Report
- Judicial inquiry report by a three-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Devendra Kumar Arora
- Key findings
- Violence was part of a "larger conspiracy"; fatal bullets were not fired from police weapons
- Leaders named
- Zia-ur Rahman Barq (SP MP) and Suhail Iqbal (son of SP MLA Iqbal Mahmood)
- Mosque dispute
- Petitioners claim Aurangzeb built the mosque after demolishing a temple; mosque committee says Babur ordered it built in the 16th century
- Political allegation
- SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged BJP deliberately lost bypolls in Bankipur and Datia