'Excavation Rumour Sparked Violence': Mosque Management Claims, Sambhal DM Responds

Rajender Pensiya denied the statements of Zafar Ali, the chief of the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee, who said that the survey was done on the directions of the District Magistrate.

Sambhal District Magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya on Monday held a press conference a day after the locals opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque clashed with the violence resuling in four deaths and at least 20 injuries.

Rajender Pensiya denied the statements of Zafar Ali, the chief of the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee, who said that the survey was done on the directions of the District Magistrate. Pensiya called the statement misleading by saying that the court order came at 2.38 pm on November 24. 

"The court order came at 2.38 pm (on 24th Nov), and then we reached the mosque at around 5-5.30 pm. A copy of the Advocate Commissioner order was received and signed by him... Zafar sahib said he saw the Police firing. I want to ask him if was he busy getting the survey done or seeing the firing. He was getting the survey done between 10:30-10:45 am. While all this happened between 10:00-11:00 hours," the DM said during the press briefing.

The statement of the district magistrate came after Zafar Ali, the president of the Shahi Jama Masjid management committee, made the allegations at a press conference and was detained by police as soon as the meeting ended. 

Ali claimed that the survey of the mosque was not conducted under court orders but solely on the directions of the District Magistrate. He further said that the culpable officials in the incident are Sambhal's Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vandana Mishra and Circle Officer Anuj Kumar.

Responding to the claim, the Sambhal DM said, "He (Zafar Ali) said that the DM gave permission for the survey, which is wrong because I never gave any permission for any survey. His statements are contradictory."

What Led To The Clash On Sunday?

Zafar Ali, the Shahi Jama Masjid management committee, has claimed that the violence erupted after the SDM insisted on draining water from the ablution tank (wazukhana), even though the DM and SP suggested measuring the depth with a stick.

Draining the water led to confusion among those gathered outside, who believed excavation was taking place and it provoked the crowd, the mosque committee chief said. 

However, the district magistrate denied the claim of the water from the 'wazukhana' being emptied and called it the "most misleading thing."

"The most misleading thing he said was that the water from the 'Wazu' tank was emptied. Zafar sahib also said that water from it is emptied every Friday. In reality, only photography and videography of the Wazu tank were supposed to be done. No measurements were taken there," Rajender Pensiya said.

The District Magistrate also responded to Ali's claim that he personally witnessed the police firing at the crowd.

"In his latest statement, Zafar Ali has said that he saw Police was using their weapons, then he said that Police was using country-made weapons and later said that he doesn't know what arms were being used by Police," the DM added.

Zafar Ali was detained shortly after the press conference. UP Police has said that they are questioning him in connection with the violent clash that unfolded on Sunday as people opposing the court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid.

Four people have died in the clash with police, while 20 others have been injured, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ramesh Chandra. Seven FIRs have been filed so far, and 25 individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. 

The tensions erupted in Sambhal after a local court ordered a survey of the Jama Masjid last Tuesday. The survey team revisited the mosque on Sunday to conduct further investigations. The survey followed a petition in a local court, claiming that the site of the Jama Masjid was previously home to a Harihar Temple.