The FIR accused Barq of instigating communal violence in his constituency, Sambhal, for political gain. However, Barq and his party rejected the charges, blaming the BJP for provoking the violence and unfairly targeting the MP.
Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Friday (3rd Jan) decided not to cancel the case against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, the prime accused in the November 24 violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, which erupted after a mob protested a mosque survey. However, the court instructed the police not to arrest Barq for the time being.
The violence in Sambhal was triggered by protests over a survey ordered by a local court, which had been petitioned on the grounds that a temple had been demolished to build the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. The unrest led to the deaths of four people. The Uttar Pradesh police claimed that Barq had visited the area before the violence and that his speeches had incited the unrest.
The FIR accused Barq of instigating communal violence in his constituency, Sambhal, for political gain. However, Barq and his party rejected the charges, blaming the BJP for provoking the violence and unfairly targeting the MP.
Justices Rajiv Gupta and Azhar Hussain Idrisi emphasized that the investigation against Barq would continue. The bench observed that the charges against him carried a sentence of less than seven years, allowing the police to issue a notice for Barq to appear for questioning. The court also instructed Barq to cooperate with the investigation.
So far, 50 individuals have been arrested, and multiple FIRs have been filed in the case. Apart from Barq, Sohail Iqbal, the son of local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, is also an accused.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Court Commissioner, Ramesh Singh Raghav, presented a detailed survey report on Sambhal’s Jama Masjid to the Chandausi court. The report, compiled during surveys conducted on November 19 and 24, includes videography from various angles.
In December, the Supreme Court, while hearing challenges to the Places of Worship Act, halted all proceedings concerning ownership disputes nationwide, including those related to Sambhal, until a final decision is made. The Places of Worship Act mandates that the status quo of religious sites, such as temples and mosques, should be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947.
