UP Police’s special investigation team in Sambhal submitted chargesheets in six cases related to the November 24 protest against the mosque survey, totaling over 4,400 pages, on Thursday.
Officials said their investigation revealed that Shariq Satha, a native of Sambhal who is believed to be in the UAE, orchestrated the protest. The police violence against the protesters resulted in the killing of six Muslim men and injuries to several others. However, police authorities claim the protesters were rioters who provoked the police.
Circle Officer Kuldeep Kumar and Additional District Government Counsel Hari Om Prakash submitted the chargesheets in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Archana Singh.
The chargesheets name 79 accused, all currently in jail, under various sections of the BNS.
According to the chargesheet, Satha previously ran a car theft gang that stole over 300 vehicles from Delhi-NCR and is linked to Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan’s ISI, adding that he fled the country using a fake passport.
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.
On November 24 last year, the town of Sambhal witnessed intense violence when an ASI team arrived to survey the historic 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.
