PIL in Allahabad HC seeks CBI probe into Sambhal violence

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Allahabad high court seeking a CBI probe into the November 24 violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.
A prayer was also made in the PIL for a special investigation team (SIT) probe, headed by a retired high court judge, into ‘the role of the commissioner of Moradabad region, the DM as well as the SP of Sambhal besides other officers’ in the incident.
The PIL petition was filed by one Anand Prakash Tiwari through advocates Imran Ullah and Vineet Vikram, alleging possible administrative negligence and the role of the local authorities in the violence.
The plea also prays that necessary guidelines be framed regarding the role and responsibilities of district authorities while assisting in a future survey of religious monuments/sites, if directed by any court.
To recall, violence erupted in Sambhal district on November 24 after a team led by an advocate commissioner surveyed the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid on the orders of a local court.
A court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal’s Kot Garvi area, prompted by a petition claiming a Harihar temple once stood at the site led to the confrontation on Sunday.