A day after the Uttar Pradesh Assembly tabled the judicial commission's report on the November 2024 Sambhal violence, the court-appointed commissioner who conducted the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid alleged that the mob had intended to attack the survey team and prevent the court-ordered exercise, while the Hindu side sought a detailed discussion on the panel's findings in the Assembly.
The judicial commission, constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government after the violence, concluded that the clashes during the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid were the result of a pre-planned conspiracy and said the police and civil administration had prevented the unrest from escalating into wider communal riots across the state and the country.
Shahi Jama Masjid Intazamia Committee president Zafar Ali declined to comment on the report.
Advocate Gopal Sharma, appearing for the Hindu side in the mosque-temple dispute, said the report should be discussed in detail in the Assembly.
"The commission, headed by retired Justice Devendra Kumar Arora and comprising retired DGP Arvind Kumar Jain and retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, conducted a thorough probe, inspected the site and recorded statements of all stakeholders before reaching its conclusions. Every aspect of the report deserves detailed discussion in the House," Sharma told reporters.
Recalling the survey proceedings, Sharma said he was present on both days -- November 19 and November 24, 2024.
"On November 19, the survey remained incomplete after a large number of people entered the mosque premises and obstructed the exercise. We requested the district administration to make arrangements for the remaining survey, which was resumed on November 24," he said.
"The intention of those gathered that day was to attack the survey team and administrative officials, but adequate security arrangements prevented that from happening," he alleged.
Sharma also alleged that the violence had been pre-planned and said the police exercised restraint despite facing stone-pelting and firing.
Ramesh Raghav, who was appointed by the civil court as advocate commissioner to conduct the survey, said the first phase on November 19 lasted about two hours before it was halted because of prayer time and the gathering of a large number of people.
"The second survey on November 24 lasted about two-and-a-half hours. I was inside the mosque along with advocates Vishnu Shankar Jain and Vishnu Sharma. During the survey, sounds of firing could be heard from outside," he said.
Raghav said the administration escorted the survey team out through the main gate via the Hindu locality after the exercise was completed.
"In my view, the crowd wanted to disrupt the survey and attack the survey team so that the court-ordered exercise could not be completed," he said.
Mahant Yogi Deenanath of Kshem Nath Tirth said those responsible for the violence should be punished irrespective of their position.
"Whoever is guilty should be punished under the law, whether an ordinary citizen or someone holding a high public office. Such action should be taken that no one dares to repeat such acts in future," he said.
Referring to the commission's findings that the violence was allegedly pre-planned, the seer said Sambhal had witnessed communal clashes several times in the past and expressed confidence that the courts would ensure justice in the case.
The report relates to the violence that broke out on November 24, 2024, during the second phase of a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition claiming that the mosque had been built over the site of an ancient Harihar temple.
Four people were killed and 28 police personnel were injured in the clashes.
Police subsequently registered cases against Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, Jama Masjid Intazamia Committee president Zafar Ali and thousands of unidentified persons.
The dispute stems from a civil suit filed on November 19, 2024, by eight petitioners, including advocates Harishankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, seeking a survey of the mosque.
The matter is pending before the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh.
(With inputs from PTI)