In a significant development related to the Sambhal violence case, a local court has directed the filing of an FIR against 12 police officers, including Additional Superintendent of Police Anuj Chaudhary. The order was issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudhir.
The case revolves around allegations of police firing during the Sambhal violence incident, where a 24-year-old individual was reportedly shot and severely wounded. This directive stems from a plea submitted by the victim’s father, Yameen, residing in Khaggu Sarai Anjuman locality under Nakhasa police station’s jurisdiction.
Yameen’s son, Alam, was said to have been shot and critically injured by the police while selling rusk near Shahi Jama Masjid during the unrest. The petition called for the registration of an FIR against former CO Anuj Chaudhary, former Inspector Anuj Tomar, and other unidentified police personnel involved in the incident.
The court hearing on January 9, 2026, led to the decision that an FIR should be lodged against all the mentioned police officials, including Anuj Chaudhary, who was the CO Sambhal at the time of the event and currently serves as ASP (Rural) in Firozabad district.
Following a violent episode during a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, by the Archaeological Survey of India, unrest erupted. The survey, prompted by claims of the mosque being constructed on the remnants of a Hindu temple destroyed during the Mughal era, resulted in escalating tensions during the second phase. This was triggered by the draining of the mosque’s ablution tank, leading to rumors of excavation. Subsequently, the police detained 79 rioters, including three women, and filed 12 separate FIRs in connection with the violence at Sambhal Kotwali and Nakhasa police stations.
