A section of lawyers in Sambhal staged a protest and observed a one-day pen-down strike on Monday in protest against the arrest of Zafar Ali, president of the Jama Masjid Management Committee.
The UP Police on Sunday arrested Shahi Jama Masjid committee president Zafar Ali, hours after taking him into custody to record his statement in connection with the November 24 violence case. The police said that Ali was arrested in connection with the violence over the Shahi Jama Masjid survey.
However, a section of lawyers alleged that his arrest was an attempt to prevent him from testifying before a judicial commission investigating the incident.
Zafar Ali's brother Tahir Ali had also claimed that the arrest was done to prevent him from submitting his testimony before a three-member judicial commission on Monday.
The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a three-member judicial commission to probe the violence.
"All courts in Sambhal, Chandousi and Gunnaur remained closed today as part of the strike. He alleged Ali had been falsely implicated by the police. There was no FIR against him, yet he was sent to jail under unidentified charges. This is a wrongful act by the police," Mohammad Nazar Qureshi, president of the Chandousi District Court Bar Association in Sambhal told PTI.
"We strongly oppose this action and will soon decide on our next course of action against the police administration," Qureshi said.
Senior lawyer Shakeel Ahmed also criticised Ali's arrest saying that if such police actions continue, it would lead to similar such cases across the country. He further said that lawyers across UP were standing in solidarity with Ali.
"Zafar Ali is a senior counsel and his arrest by the police is entirely unjustified. If such police actions continue, this situation will escalate not just in the district but across the entire state and country," he said.
Senior advocate Abdur Rahman also accused the police of taking punitive action against Ali.
"The police are trying to suppress the fact that they used private weapons against civilians in Sambhal during the violence. This arrest is part of their cover-up," he said.
Violence had erupted during a court-ordered survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area of the city on November 24 last year leading to the death of four civilians and injuries to several others, including security personnel.