The death toll from police firing during violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, which erupted after locals resisted a land survey at a mosque, has risen to six as of Tuesday, November 26, reported AFP.
All the victims are Muslim men in their teens or early twenties.
The violence occurred on Sunday, November 24, when residents opposed a team of land surveyors from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who were sent to the Shahi Jama Masjid following a court order to investigate claims that a Hindu temple existed beneath the mosque.
This court directive was issued despite the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, which aims to preserve the religious character of places of worship as they were on August 15, 1947.
The land surveyors were accompanied by Hindutva groups, prompting resistance from the local Muslim community in an otherwise peaceful area. As tensions escalated and stone-pelting ensued, UP police reportedly opened fire on the protesters, resulting in three Muslim youngsters being killed on the spot and several others severely injured. Two of those injured by police gunfire later succumbed to their wounds, bringing the total death toll to six.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh police arrested Zafar Ali, the lawyer representing the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid, shortly after he made serious allegations regarding how authorities handled the violence during the court-sanctioned inspection of the mosque.
In a press conference on Monday, Ali claimed that high-ranking police officials summoned him and instructed him to pacify the crowd. He stated he witnessed discussions among officials—including the district inspector general (DIG), superintendent of police (SP), and district magistrate (DM)—about a plan to open fire on the Muslim protesters opposing the survey.
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