A court in Sambhal has ordered the registration of an FIR against former Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary and 12 other police personnel, following a year-long legal battle pursued by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights. The order has been passed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Reacting to the development, APCR General Secretary Nadeem Khan told The Observer Post that the organisation is satisfied with the court’s direction. “This order comes after nearly a year of sustained legal effort. Multiple applications were filed in this matter and we hope the court will accept all of them and ensure justice for the victims of police brutality and for the innocent lives lost,” he said.
The order was passed by Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudhir, directing the police to register an FIR against former CO Sambhal Anuj Chaudhary, Inspector Anuj Tomar and around 10 to 12 other police personnel, including unidentified officers. The case relates to allegations that a young man was shot by police during the violence that broke out in Sambhal in November 2024.
According to court records, the petition was filed by Yameen, a resident of Mohalla Khaggu Sarai in the Nakhasa police station area. Yameen stated that his son, Alam, had left home on November 24, 2024, to sell papad. He alleged that when Alam reached the Shahi Jama Masjid area, the police opened fire and shot him. The petition accused police personnel of targeting civilians during the violence.
The case was filed on February 6, 2024, naming the then Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudhary, Sambhal Kotwali Inspector Anuj Tomar and other police personnel as respondents. After hearings, the matter was placed before the court on January 9, 2026, following which the Chief Judicial Magistrate ordered the registration of an FIR against all the accused officers.
Advocate Chaudhary Akhtar Hussain, who is representing the victim’s family, told the media that his client’s son had to take treatment while hiding from the police. Hussain added that he was informed about the court’s order on Tuesday evening, but the written copy was yet to be received as the order was passed late.
At present, Anuj Chaudhary is posted as Additional Superintendent of Police Rural in Firozabad, while Anuj Tomar is the station in charge of Kotwali Chandausi in Sambhal. Chaudhary was serving as CO Sambhal at the time of the violence and was later promoted. He had earlier drawn widespread criticism for his role during the unrest and for his controversial remark referring to “52 Jumme and one Holi”.
The Sambhal violence erupted in November 2024 after a court ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition claiming that the mosque was originally the Shri Harihar Temple. The first phase of the survey was conducted on November 19, followed by a second phase on November 24. During the second survey, a large crowd gathered, leading to stone pelting and police firing.
Five people were killed in the violence, while several officials, including the then SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, CO Anuj Chaudhary, a deputy collector and at least 29 policemen were injured. Police registered 12 FIRs at Sambhal Kotwali and Nakhasa police stations, naming over 2,200 people as accused. Among those booked were Samajwadi Party MP Ziaurrahman Barq and the son of SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, Suhail Iqbal.
So far, 134 people have been sent to jail in connection with the violence, including Shahi Jama Masjid president Zafar Ali Advocate. Zafar Ali was released on bail by the Allahabad High Court on August 1, 2024, after spending 131 days in jail.
