Uttar Pradesh Sambhal violence inquiry

During the monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Speaker Satish Mahana highlighted opposition unrest and warned that cooperation was needed for the house to function. A judicial commission chaired by retired Justice Devendra Kumar Arora submitted its report on the November 24 2024 clash at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal. The three‑member panel concluded the incident was a pre‑planned conspiracy aimed at portraying an ASI survey as a threat to the mosque. It identified local political figures and mosque officials as having mobilised the crowd, noted that the bullets that killed four people were not fired by police, and praised the district administration for a restrained response.

The report named Samajwadi Party MP Zia‑ur‑Rehman Barq, the son of MLA Iqbal Mahmood, and mosque leaders Zafar Ali and Mashhood Ali Farooqui as key organizers. The findings were tabled in the assembly, reinforcing the speaker’s call for bipartisan cooperation while underscoring the alleged orchestrated nature of the violence.