A report on the 2024 Sambhal riots in Uttar Pradesh submitted to the state government has claimed demographic changes and 15 percent reduction of Hindu population in the violence-hit area, sources said on Thursday.
The 450-page report was prepared by a three-member judicial commission constituted under the chairmanship of retired Justice D K Arora of Allahabad High Court. Besides former DGP A K Jain; and retired Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad are also its members.
During submitting the report CM’s Principal Secretary and Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad and Principal Secretary (Parliamentary Affairs) JP Singh were present. The report will be placed in the state cabinet and after getting passed from there, it will be placed in the assembly table and only then it will be made public.
Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad told reporters that Sambhal violence Judicial report has been submitted to the government today. “We are examining the report and will take action thereafter,” he said.
The report not only describes the violence that took place on November 24, 2024, but also mentions the other times when riots took place in Sambhal.
According to sources, it has been said in the report that due to repeated riots, the Hindu population in Sambhal kept decreasing. Now only 15 percent Hindus are left there, the rest have migrated.
At the time of independence, there were 45% Hindus in Sambhal Nagar Palika. That means the Hindu population has decreased by 30 percent in the last 78 years.
Till now 15 riots have happened and there were allegations that Hindus were forcibly converted.
According to sources, the report mentions the finding of evidence of the historical existence of Harihar temple. It is said that 15 riots have taken place in Sambhal till now. After the 1978 riots, the number of Hindus kept decreasing. Hindus were forcibly converted.
Member of the Commission and former DGP Arvind Kumar Jain said,” We have looked at each and every point”.
On November 24, four people died in violence during the survey of the Jama Masjidin Sambhal.
Regarding the Jama Masjid of Sambhal, the Hindu side had claimed that it was earlier a Harihar temple, which was demolished by Babar in 1529 and a mosque was built. A petition was filed in the Sambhal court on November 19, 2024 regarding this. On the same day, Civil Judge Senior Division Aditya Singh ordered a survey inside the mosque.
An FIR was lodged against 40 people, including SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, SP MLA Iqbal Mahmood’s son Suhail Iqbal and 2,750 unidentified people.
On June 18, the SIT filed an 1,128-page FIR in the court against 23 people, including SP MP Barq.