Uttar Pradesh: Former DGP Vikram Singh praises judicial probe findings into 2024 Sambhal riots

Highlighting that the inquiry committee cleared local law enforcement of direct fatality blame while noting injuries sustained by security personnel, he pointed out the key individuals implicated in orchestrating the unrest.

Speaking to ANI, former DGP Vikram Singh detailed the background of the violent disturbances and the findings of the high-level fact-finding committee.

He said, "In November 2024, severe riots occurred in Sambhal, orchestrated to disrupt a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid... The violence, involving stone-pelting and weapons, resulted in 4 deaths and injuries to the police officers, though the deaths were from crossfire, not police action... A committee led by retired High Court Judge Devendra Kumar Arora, IAS officer Amit Mohan, and former DGP AK Jain investigated."

Identifying the prominent names highlighted in the official inquiry and outlining their alleged roles in pushing unlawful demands, former DGP Vikram Singh remarked, "The major names revealed in this were Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rahman Barq, Suhail Iqbal, advocate Afzal Ali... They came with a conspiracy in mind, and put forth illegitimate demands. The committee praised the police's restraint, recommended strict monitoring but did not call for action against the rioters..."

Vikram Singh also weighed in on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill, pointing out that the legislative measure is designed to establish rigorous financial oversight for voluntary agencies and missionary groups operating nationwide. He noted that the regulatory mechanism is structured to encompass entities from all religious backgrounds uniformly.

"The Bill aims at ensuring transparency in the income and expenditure of NGOs and missionary organisations, applicable to all religions," the DGP said.

On the other hand, on Wednesday, BJP leaders demanded the strictest action against those found guilty for the Sambhal violence after a judicial commission's report, tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, termed the 2024 incident a "pre-planned conspiracy".

The commission has named and raised questions regarding the roles of several local leaders, including Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia ur Rahman Barq, and Suhail Iqbal, son of SP MLA Iqbal Mahmood, along with members of the Jama Masjid management committee, including its President Zafar Ali and Secretary Mashhood Ali Farooqui.

Reacting to the report, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra said the government must act firmly based on the findings of the investigation.

"The government must take the strictest possible action based on the findings of the investigation, and I am confident that it will do so," Mishra told ANI.

The Judicial Commission's report on the November 2024 violence in Sambhal was tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday. According to the report, the violence was a "pre-planned conspiracy" and not a spontaneous flare-up. The report stated that bullets which caused the deaths were not fired by the police. It added that rioters attempted to loot police weapons during the chaos.The judicial inquiry commission was constituted to investigate the violence that erupted on November 24, 2024, outside the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal during a court-ordered survey of the ASI-protected monument. The violence resulted in four deaths and left dozens of police personnel injured. The survey was ordered following a petition filed by senior advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain, which sought to determine whether the mosque was originally a temple.

Under a 'Special Mention' in the state Assembly, Sharma also raised the issue of roads and landmarks named after "aggressors and invaders."

"Roads named after figures like Jahangir or Shahjahan leave one feeling deeply aggrieved. Seeing the names of these aggressors evokes a sense of hostility and brings back painful memories of the era of subjugation," he said.

He demanded the constitution of a commission to review such names.

"I demand the constitution of a commission to rename symbols and monuments associated with these aggressors and to conduct a thorough review of obsolete laws. We should name monuments after the valiant heroes who made supreme contributions to our nation, rather than after aggressors and invaders," Sharma added. (ANI)