Kumar Bahukhandi
The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora to head a three-member committee investigating the November 24 violence at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, which left four dead. The violence erupted during a survey of the Mughal-era mosque, carried out following claims that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
Security has been heightened across Sambhal ahead of Friday November 29 , 2024 prayers and the expected submission of the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) survey report to the court. Sensitive religious sites and the court in Chandausi are under tight watch, Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh confirmed.
The Supreme Court is also set to hear a plea by the mosque’s management committee challenging the November 19, 2024 district court order mandating the survey. Tensions have been high since the survey began, with opposing legal teams preparing to present their arguments.
Lawyer Gopal Sharma, representing the Hindu side, stated their next steps depend on the survey’s findings, while Muslim lawyer Shakeel Ahmed Warsi emphasized their readiness to contest the claims with evidence.
Authorities remain vigilant as the legal and communal tension unfolds, working to ensure peace and order in the region.
