Mon Nov 25 15:49:02 UTC 2024: ## Sambhal Violence: Four Killed, Mosque Official Detained

**Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh:** Post-mortem reports confirm that four people killed during recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, died from gunshot wounds inflicted by country-made pistols, according to Moradabad Commissioner Anjaney Kumar. The incident sparked a series of events leading to the brief detention of Shahi Jama Masjid’s Sadar Jafar Ali.

Ali, in a press conference, alleged police misconduct, claiming officers used abusive language, wielded lathis, and threatened him after he questioned them about water being drained from the mosque’s ablution tank. Police subsequently detained Ali for approximately four and a half hours before releasing him. While police claimed the detention was for questioning, not arrest, the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) refuted Ali’s claims in a separate press conference. The DM stated Ali had signed the survey order for the mosque and witnessed the survey, contradicting his account of police firing. The water was drained for routine cleaning and videography as part of the survey.

Prior to this, police filed FIRs against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rehman Bark and the son of local MLA Nawab Iqbal Mahmood, Suhail Iqbal, for inciting violence. Seven FIRs have been registered in total, naming six individuals and over 2,500 unidentified suspects. Twenty-five arrests have been made. Schools and colleges in the Sambhal tehsil area reopened on November 26th, according to the DM, Dr. Rajendra Pansia.

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