The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi after none appeared to argue the matter, even during the revised call.
Prayagraj, Dec 5: The Allahabad High Court directed the listing of a writ petition in the ordinary course, which seeks the registration of an FIR against the district magistrate, superintendent of police, and other officials involved in the Sambhal violence case, as well as their arrest.
The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices Siddhartha Varma and Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi after none appeared to argue the matter, even during the revised call.
At the time, Additional Advocate General Manish Goel and Government Advocate A K Sand were present on behalf of the state government.
The PIL was filed by the Hazrat Khwajah Garib Nawaj Welfare Association, seeking an FIR against the district magistrate and SP, as well as their arrest, claiming these officials were responsible for the violence and the deaths of four individuals in an alleged police shooting.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the High Court dismissed another PIL seeking an independent probe into the alleged police atrocities during the Sambhal violence.
A division bench of Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Gautam Chowdhary dismissed the petition after the counsel indicated that it would no longer be pursued, given that the state government had already set up a judicial inquiry commission to investigate the incident.
Following the Sambhal violence on November 24, the Uttar Pradesh government formed a three-member judicial commission comprising retired High Court Judge Devendra Kumar Arora, retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain to probe the matter. The violence had erupted after an advocate commissioner’s team surveyed the Mughal-era Jama Mosque on the orders of a local court.
On November 24, violence erupted in Chandausi town when surveyors attempted a second survey of the mosque. Protestors clashed with police, leading to incidents of stone-pelting and vehicle torching. Four people reportedly died in the chaos, though autopsy reports later ruled out police firing as the cause of death.
The PIL was filed through advocates Imran Ullah and Vineet Vikram, highlighting the need for impartial investigation and accountability. The Allahabad High Court is expected to review the petition and consider the formation of the SIT, along with framing guidelines for handling such surveys in the future.
