Community leaders question the fairness of the arrest seven months later, alleging Muslims are being targeted while the real provocateurs remain untouched
NEW DELHI/SAMBHAL — Almost seven months after deadly violence broke out during a controversial survey of the historic Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, the police have arrested Abdul Samad, a 32-year-old Muslim man accused of participating in the protest. This latest arrest marks the 90th in the case, fuelling strong reactions among Muslim families and rights activists, who allege that authorities are targeting Muslim youth while ignoring the underlying provocation behind the violence.
On 24 November 2024, a court-ordered survey of the centuries-old Shahi Jama Masjid turned violent after residents clashed with police. The incident left five Muslim youths dead and several others injured. The situation quickly escalated into chaos, with reports of stone pelting, police firing, and vehicles being set ablaze.
Samad, who had been absconding since the incident, was finally caught and presented in court before being sent to jail. Police allege his involvement in stone pelting and arson during the violence.
“Abdul Samad was one of the key absconders. He was present during the mob attack and we have collected video evidence,” claimed a senior police official, who asked not to be named.
However, questions are now being raised about the timing and fairness of this arrest. Many locals and Muslim leaders are accusing the police of acting selectively and ignoring the reasons behind the protest.
According to eyewitnesses and residents of the Sambhal Sadar Kotwali area, the survey team’s arrival at the Shahi Jama Masjid without proper notice or dialogue with local Muslim elders caused panic and suspicion.
“The police and officials barged in like we were criminals. No one informed the local mosque committee. People gathered because they were worried. The sudden use of force turned things ugly,” said 60-year-old Maulana Raees Ahmed, a respected figure in the local community.
The survey itself was based on a petition filed on 19 November 2024, claiming that a Hindu temple had once existed at the mosque site and had been demolished in 1526. The Chandausi Civil Judge Aditya Singh accepted the plea and ordered an Advocate Commissioner to carry out an immediate inspection, on the same day the plea was submitted.
The speed of the court’s action and the lack of consultation with local religious leaders angered many. The Shahi Jama Masjid, built in the 16th century, was already a protected site under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904, and had been officially recognised as a “Monument of National Importance” by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as early as 1920.
“The mosque is not some disputed building. It is a protected monument. Why then was such a hurried survey ordered, without giving us a chance to respond?” asked Advocate Feroze Alam, a local lawyer who has filed a counter-petition challenging the legitimacy of the court order.
Human rights groups and civil society organisations have criticised the continued arrests, saying the police are going after only Muslim youth, leaving aside those who triggered the communal tension.
“So far, 90 people have been arrested — all of them Muslims. Not a single member of the group that filed the petition or instigated the claim has been held responsible. Is this justice?” asked retired professor and activist Dr Shakeel Anwar.
Samad’s family is devastated. His wife, 28-year-old Ruksana, broke down while speaking to reporters.
“He is a tailor. He went out that day to pick up our son from school. He never came home. Now they say he threw stones. Who will believe this?” she asked, weeping.
Multiple families have echoed similar sentiments. Young Muslim men are reportedly living in fear, avoiding public spaces and limiting their movement in the neighbourhood, worried they might be the next ones picked up.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of the entire episode is the absence of any inquiry into the police firing that killed five Muslim youths. Videos circulating on social media in the days after the incident showed uniformed officers chasing protestors and allegedly opening fire. Despite this, no action has been taken against any officer, and the families of those killed have not been given any compensation.
“My son was 19 years old. He had just returned from Friday prayers. They shot him near the mosque. No one came from the administration. Not even a word of sympathy,” said Mohammad Irfan, father of one of the deceased.
Local journalists and activists allege that a strong political narrative is being pushed, where Muslims are being painted as troublemakers, even when the initial trigger of violence came from outside.
“Why did the court accept such a sensitive petition without verification? Why were police forces deployed before talks with the mosque committee? Why only arrest Muslims? These are the questions no one wants to answer,” said senior journalist Afzal Qureshi, who has been reporting from Sambhal for over two decades.
This incident is part of a larger pattern seen across several parts of Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states, where petitions claiming historic Hindu temples beneath mosques are being filed and fast-tracked in the courts. Civil rights groups fear this is being done to polarise communities and deepen religious divides ahead of elections.
“From Gyanvapi to Mathura to Sambhal—it’s the same script. Raise an old claim, get the court to order a survey, provoke local Muslims, and then call them rioters when they react,” said Ali Khan Mahsud, national coordinator of the Indian Muslim Solidarity Network.
He added that these tactics are undermining the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality and religious freedom to all.
Muslim leaders and social groups have now demanded a judicial inquiry into the Sambhal violence, especially the killing of unarmed protestors.
“This is not about Abdul Samad or the 90 arrests. This is about truth and justice. We demand a full judicial probe into the incident, including the role of police and the court order,” said AIMIM state leader Abdul Wahid Siddiqui.
So far, the state government has remained silent on this demand. No minister has visited the affected families, and no official statement has been made about the inquiry into the police firing.
The arrest of Abdul Samad, seven months after the violence, has once again highlighted the deep distrust between the Muslim community and law enforcement agencies. While the state continues its crackdown on Muslim youth, the real issue of how and why a peaceful community was pushed to the edge remains unanswered.
Until there is a fair probe into the events of 24 November 2024, justice for the victims of Sambhal will remain a distant dream.
“We are tired of saying we are Indian citizens. We have our rights. We are not terrorists. We are worshippers,” said Maulana Raees Ahmed, with tears in his eyes.
