Sambhal Tension: Jama Masjid Head Zafar Ali Arrested, Sent to Jail

Sambhal (The Uttam Hindu):  Zafar Ali Advocate, the head of Jama Masjid Committee in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested by Kotwali police and sent to jail. The police questioned him about the violence that took place in November last year. After the arrest, Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudhary stated that sufficient force had already been deployed to maintain peace and that sufficient force is still present in the area. In view of the situation, heavy deployment of police force has been done and the administration is fully alert.

Zafar Ali's elder brother, Mohammad Tahir, has alleged that this "unconstitutional action" has been taken to stop Zafar Ali from giving a statement to the judicial commission. Mohammad Tahir claimed that the police wants to send Zafar Ali to jail to prevent him from giving a statement. However, he vowed that Zafar Ali will give the same statement he previously gave to the commission. Mohammad Tahir mentioned that Zafar Ali received  summons from the Judicial Commission on Saturday and was supposed to appear. However, the police took "unconstitutional action" to stop him. Mohammad Tahir expressed apprehension that Zafar Ali might be arrested, which eventually happened. The police called Zafar Ali from his house at 11 o'clock and took him away, with two inspectors accompanying him.

It is worth noting that there have been altercations between Jama Masjid's Sadar Zafar Ali Advocate and police officers many times before, with videos of these incidents going viral. The head of the Jama Masjid committee had also accused the police of firing during the riot on November 24. The violence occurred when a survey was being conducted in the Jama Masjid of Sambhal on November 24, following a court order. Some people opposed the survey, leading to clashes with the police. The clashes escalated into a riot, resulting in four deaths and several injuries, including many policemen. The police have also arrested many people on charges of violence related to the incident.