Latest news with #ShriHariharTemple
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Court to hear plea seeking ban on namaz at Sambhal mosque on July 21
A Chandausi court in Sambhal district has decided to hear a petition seeking a ban on offering namaz at the Shahi Jama Masjid until its religious status is legally determined. The petitioner contended that no religious practices, whether namaz or puja, should be permitted at the site until its historical and religious character is conclusively established. (HT File) The petition was filed by Simran Gupta, national president of the Hindu Shakti Dal. Civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh admitted the plea on Thursday and scheduled the next hearing for July 21. The petitioner argued that allowing religious activities such as namaz at a site already declared 'disputed' by the court could hinder an impartial investigation. The plea sought the sealing of the Shahi Jama Masjid and the transfer of its custody to the district magistrate for neutral oversight until the court delivers a final verdict on the site's religious identity. Gupta contended that no religious practices, whether namaz or puja, should be permitted at the site until its historical and religious character is conclusively established. She further claimed that allowing only one religious group to continue worship might create perceptions of bias and risk communal tension. Advocate Babulal Saxena is representing her in court. The origin of the dispute dates back to November 19, 2023, when eight Hindu petitioners claimed the Shahi Jama Masjid stood on the site of an ancient Shri Harihar Temple. Responding to the petition, the court ordered a survey of the mosque premises on the same day, followed by a second survey on November 24. The second survey led to violent clashes, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to 29 police personnel. In the aftermath, police launched a wide-scale crackdown and filed FIRs against 2,750 people, including Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rehman Barq and mosque committee chairman Zafar Ali. So far, 96 individuals have been jailed in connection with the violence. The matter also reached the Allahabad High Court, which allowed proceedings in the lower court to continue.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sambhal violence: Bail granted to 3 accused renews hope for others in jail
Bareilly: The Allahabad high court granted conditional bail to three individuals accused of stone-pelting and damaging public property during the protests that erupted amid the temple-mosque dispute in Sambhal last year. The decision has renewed hope among families of other accused awaiting court of Justice Gautam Chaudhary granted bail to Shane Alam, Rehan, and Faizan, after observing that their names were not included in the FIR, their roles were not clear, and they were not arrested from the scene, nor identified through CCTV footage. The petitioners argued that they had been falsely implicated, and that the two police officers injured in the gunfire during the unrest did not sustain life-threatening accused have been in jail since Jan 19. The district court initially rejected their bail plea, prompting them to approach the high court. The defence counsel said that although the three accused are named in multiple cases, they secured bail in one case unrest occurred during the second phase of a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, following a claim by the Hindu side in Chandausi court on Nov 19 that the mosque was originally the Shri Harihar Temple, as mentioned in scriptures. The first phase was conducted the same evening while the second phase on Nov 24 led to the said a large group of Muslims gathered and attacked officials with stones and opened fire at them while setting govt vehicles on fire. Five people were killed in the incident. A total of 12 FIRs were registered, and 84 people were arrested, including three women, members of the mosque management committee and advocate Zafar Ali. Most of the people are lodged in Moradabad jail and do not have any criminal of those still in jail have expressed renewed hope following the court's order. The wife of a 38-year-old accused man said, "We have spent all our savings trying to secure bail, but nothing has worked so far. We are struggling financially, and there is no one to earn. I am stitching clothes to feed our three children. I am now hopeful that the high court will grant relief. I will borrow money from relatives to pay the lawyers' fees."
