The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday put up posters of 74 men, whom they have named as suspects in the Sambhal violence case, on a wall of the historic Shahi Jama Masjid and other locations in the town.
On November 24 last year, the town of Sambhal witnessed intense violence when an ASI team arrived to survey the Shahi Jama Masjid, accompanied by a Hindutva mob chanting “Jai Shri Ram.” As local Muslims gathered outside the mosque and tensions escalated, police resorted to force and opened fire on the protesters. Six young Muslim men were killed.
The police, however, called the protesters “rioters” and registered cases in connection with the violence. Locals allege that the cases have been used to target protesters and Muslim residents.
“The posters contain photographs of suspects carrying stones. The suspects, captured through drone cameras, CCTV footage, and mobile phone videos, were directly involved in the violence. Their identities are yet to be confirmed, so the posters have been put up to seek public assistance in identifying them,” said Sambhal Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP, North) Shrish Chandra, speaking to mediapersons on Friday.
A lawyer from Sambhal told Maktoob that police had put up posters in the area on Thursday. Some locals and the brother of the mosque’s sadar opposed the move, but police asked them to take up the matter with the District Magistrate.
The lawyer cited a ruling by the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench during the anti-CAA protests. The HC had declared that hoardings displaying the names, photos, and addresses of individuals accused of violence were an unwarranted invasion of privacy and violated Article 21 of the Constitution. The court had ordered their removal.
He also noted that the photos on the current posters were unidentifiable, which has deterred anyone from legally challenging them. “This is a complete violation of fundamental rights, yet the police are doing everything to justify their actions,” he said.
So far, 76 Muslims, including four women, have been arrested for allegedly pelting stones at police from rooftops. The police have registered eight FIRs in connection with the violence.
