More than two weeks after the deadly protests in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal over a mosque survey, the district’s Superintendent of Police (SP) clarified that the police had fired “warning shots in the air” during the unrest. The violence broke out on November 24, following protests by a group of Muslims who objected to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town. The protests led to clashes with the police, and at least five individuals lost their lives.
Initially, SP Krishan Kumar Bishnoi had stated that autopsies of three of the deceased revealed they had suffered gunshot wounds from a .315 bore firearm, although the police had used only pellet guns. However, Bishnoi later told The Indian Express that the police had fired into the air to disperse the crowd, not directly at the protesters.
When asked about videos showing police firing during the incident, Bishnoi acknowledged the footage but stated that an investigation was underway to determine who fired the two shots seen in the video.
A video circulating on social media appears to show police firing at the crowd during the protests. The parents of Naeem, one of the victims, have alleged that he was killed by police gunfire. However, Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh denied these claims, suggesting that the deaths were still under investigation. Singh mentioned that the police had suffered injuries from bullet fragments, implying that the situation was more complex than the simple firing of police weapons.
Singh further stated that the violence involved three groups firing at each other, but the police’s priority was to restore order and peace. He also emphasized that the responsibility to prevent violence lay with the families, urging them to stop their children from engaging in violent actions.
The survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid had been ordered by a local court in response to a petition claiming that the mosque, constructed in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babur, was built over a “centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple.” This controversial survey and the violence that followed have drawn attention to religious tensions in the region.
In total, 32 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, and over 400 individuals have been identified as suspects. District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya confirmed these details, highlighting ongoing investigations.
