By Omar Rashid
New Delhi: Late on Thursday (November 28), the Uttar Pradesh government ordered a judicial probe into the violence that broke out in Sambhal during a controversial survey of a Mughal-era mosque last Sunday (November 24). The decision to constitute a judicial commission came a few hours before the Supreme Court was to hear a petition by the caretakers of the Shahi Jama Masjid against a Sambhal court’s decision to order a survey in the mosque through an advocate commissioner to look for signs of an ancient Hindu temple.
While Opposition party leaders view the government’s decision to suddenly announce a judicial probe with suspicion, the terms and references of the three-member commission also raise questions as they seem to overlook the serious allegations of murder levelled against the police by the kin of those who were killed in the incident.
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel constituted the three-member commission headed by Devendra Kumar Arora, retired judge of the Allahabad high court. Retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, who served under chief minister Adityanath, and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain, who was the director general of police in 2015, when the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP)Nwas in power, are the other two members of the commission.
Five Muslims were killed in the violence although the government has only acknowledged the deaths of four persons. Several police personnel were also injured and some vehicles torched or damaged.
The judicial commission has four tasks. One, to inquire whether the incident was “sudden or well planned and the result of a criminal conspiracy.” Two, to inquire into the arrangements made by the district administration and police for maintaining law and order during the incident. Three, to ascertain the “reasons and circumstances” due to which the incident took place. And four, to provide suggestions to prevent a repeat of such incidents. The commission has two months to complete its probe.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
