UP: 3 killed in clashes during violent protest against Sambhal mosque survey

Three people were killed as protesters opposing a courtordered survey of a Mughalera mosque in Sambhal Uttar Pradesh clashed with security personnel on SundayThe protesters tried to torch vehicles and pelted stones at the police who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mobGunshots were fired by the miscreants and some pellets struck our policemen We are investigating where the shots were fired from particularly in the Deepa Sarai area an officer saidMoradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said Three people identified as Naeem Bilal and Nauman have been killed Some policemen including the gunner of the superintendent of police have also been injuredThe trouble started on Sunday morning when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began their work in the Shahi Jama MasjidTension has been brewing in Sambhal sinhce Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the siteTen people have been detained and a probe has been launched an official said adding some people even tried to set afire some motorcycles parked on the roadsideThe official said the accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act NSASamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP saying the ruling party government and the administration orchestrated the violence to divert attention from electoral malpracticeAccording to the local administration a second survey by an Advocate Commissioner as part of a courtordered examination into the disputed site started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering thereSome miscreants in the crowd threw stones at the police team The police used minor force and tear gas to bring the situation under control Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi saidHe said those who engaged in stone pelting and those who incited them will be identified and action taken against themWe are in the process of registering an FIR in the incident The accused will also be booked under the NSA the police officer addedDistrict officials said the survey work was planned in the morning to avoid interference with prayers in the mosque that is usually held in the afternoon The survey team concluded its work for the day shortly after the stone pelting incident occurredDistrict Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said Some miscreants resorted to stone pelting but the situation is peaceful nowAround 10 people have been detained in connection with the stonepelting incident They are being interrogated he addedUttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar told PTI that the situation was under control in SambhalWe are monitoring everything All police and civil administration officials are handling the situation on the spot They are patrolling those areas Antisocial elements will be identified very soon and strict action will be taken against them the director general of police DGP saidVideos of youths throwing stones at police purportedly near the site of the survey in Sambhal have surfaced on the InternetAdditional police units have been deployed near the mosque to ensure law and order and officials are closely monitoring the situationAt a press conference in Lucknow Akhilesh Yadav said A serious incident occurred in Sambhal A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happenI dont want to go into the legal or procedural aspects but the other side was not even heard This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging he saidWhat happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices the former UP chief minister allegedOn Saturday the Sambhal district administration bound down 34 people on a bond of up to Rs 10 lakh on apprehension of a breach of peaceSubdivisional Magistrate Vandana Mishra told PTI on Saturday that among the people bound down is Mamlukur Rahman Barq the father of the Samajwadi Partys Sambhal MP Zia ur Rahman BarqSupreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain who is a petitioner in the case had said the Court of Civil Judge Senior Division ordered the constitution of an Advocate Commission to survey the mosqueThe court has said that a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission he had saidThe Central and Uttar Pradesh governments the mosque committee and the district magistrate of Sambhal have been made parties in the petition concerning the mosque Jain said last TuesdayVishnu Shankar Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship including the Gyanvapi MosqueKashi Vishwanath temple disputeGopal Sharma a local lawyer for the Hindu side told PTI on Friday that in his petition filed in the court he mentioned that Baburnama and the AineAkbari has confirmed that a Harihar temple was at the site where the Jama Masjid now standsHe also claimed that the temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529Samajwadi Party SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq had objected to the developmentsThe Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historical and very old The Supreme Court had given the order in 1991 that whatever religious places are there in whatever condition since 1947 they will remain at their places he had saidThe next date for hearing in this case is January 29This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever