The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Zafar Ali, Chairman of the Sambhal Jama Masjid Committee, who was arrested in connection with alleged mob violence during a mosque survey in November 2024.
The single-judge bench of Justice Sameer Jain noted that there was no direct evidence linking Ali to acts of violence or obstruction. He was not named in the original FIR but was arrested months later, on March 23, 2025, after responding to a police notice under Section 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The FIR alleges that a mob of 700–800 people obstructed the civil court-appointed Commission’s attempt to survey the mosque on November 24, 2024, and damaged public property, including police vehicles. The report named Zia-Ur-Rahman Barq, son of a sitting MP, and Suhail Iqbal as primary accused. Zafar Ali was not originally among them.
Ali’s counsel argued that he was falsely implicated due to his public criticism of the police over unrelated violence in the region, which allegedly resulted in four civilian deaths. The court also observed that the serious charges added later under Sections 230 and 231 of the BNS — punishable with life imprisonment — appeared to be based solely on Ali’s press statements and lacked admissible evidence.
Justice Jain said that being the Chairman of a mosque committee does not automatically prove participation in violence. He noted that Zia-Ur-Rahman Barq had not been arrested due to a prior High Court order and Suhail Iqbal had already been cleared during the investigation.
The court concluded that Ali’s continued incarceration was not justified, especially since the charge sheet had been filed and he had already spent over four months in custody.
Ali was granted bail with conditions, including furnishing a personal bond and two sureties, and was barred from tampering with evidence or engaging in criminal activity. The court clarified that its findings were limited to the bail plea and would not impact the ongoing trial.
