A special investigation team from the Uttar Pradesh Police in riot-hit Sambhal submitted a detailed chargesheet totalling more than 4,400 pages about six cases stemming from the violent protests against the Shahi Jama Masjid survey that was ordered on November 19, 2024.
The major legal document was presented in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Archana Singh on Thursday, February 21 by Circle Officer Kuldeep Kumar and Additional District Government Counsel Hari Om Prakash.
According to the reports, the police investigation findings pointed to Shariq Satha, a Sambhal native who is currently residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the main orchestrator behind the protests.
The legal documentation filed by the police includes 79 cases against those who are currently in jail and facing charges under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The court records reportedly indicate Satha has criminal records inviting a car theft ring which stole more than 300 vehicles across Delhi-NCR.
The police further claimed in the chargesheet that the mastermind Satha had also links with Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan’s ISI agency. The person fled India using forged passport documentation.
So far, the police have arrested 76 Muslim people including four women who allegedly participated in rooftop stone-throwing during the protests.
On November 19, a court in Sambhal had passed an ex-parte order for a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid by an advocate commissioner, following a plea filed by Hindu petitioners that claimed that the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526 after demolishing a temple.
During a second round of surveys of the mosque on November 24, protesting locals clashed with security personnel, leading to the violence that led to the deaths of Six Muslim youths and injuries to dozens.
