The roads of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal are shrouded in silence after violent clashes over an archaeological survey of a Mughal-era mosque on November 19, ordered by a local court in a petition claiming that it was built on a temple site.
The violence erupted amid protests as the officials arrived for the second survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, leaving four dead and many injured. The locals allege that the four youths died from police bullets, whereas the police have denied the claims. The small town’s nooks have converted into police camps with the deployment of additional units of the Rapid Action Force. The police have arrested many and issued pictures of at least 100 suspects, including minors, over involvement in the violence.
But what was the buildup to the violence? Did the police employ excessive force? What happened in its aftermath? And what is the history of the mosque? Are the petitioners linked to the violence?
Newslaundry spoke with locals, the families of the deceased, those injured, the mosque’s head, the petitioner, and the police administration to piece together what happened. The mother of 17-year-old Mohammad Ayan, who was killed, said her son, a waiter, had gone to the hotel when she was informed that “he had been shot by the police”.
Watch our ground report from Sambhal.
Reports like these take time and resources. Help us tell more stories that are in public interest. Subscribe today.
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
