Lucknow:

The discovery of Pakistan-made cartridges in the aftermath of the November 24 violence in Sambhal has escalated political tensions in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, criticised the local police, demanding dismissal of officers involved in the investigation, while Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak assured a thorough and impartial probe.

The violence erupted in the Sambhal Kotwali area during a survey, leading to five deaths. The police recovered six bullets from the scene, two of which are believed to have been manufactured in a Pakistani factory. This revelation has prompted an investigation into possible terrorist links.

Reacting to the findings, Ziaur Rahman Barq accused the police of failing to prevent things in Sambhal.

“After a week, the cartridges were recovered. The police administration has failed to prove that the people had weapons, and now they are claiming the cartridges were found there,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate that such police officers are handling this case. Such officers will only harm the country, and they should be dismissed immediately,” Barq told IANS.

However, earlier in the day, UP’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak urged all political parties to support the administration in maintaining peace.

“The incident in Sambhal is under impartial investigation, with Section 144 imposed to ensure law and order. A judicial commission has already visited the site, and strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” Pathak said.

Highlighting the discovery of foreign-made ammunition, Pathak added, “The involvement of Pakistani cartridges raises serious concerns. Our government is committed to a thorough investigation, and stringent action will be taken against the guilty.”

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), along with forensic and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) teams, is conducting searches in violence-affected areas.

On Tuesday, Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi visited the site with a forensic team, which used a metal detector to uncover additional cartridges.

The police recovered a ‘POF 9MM 68-26’ cartridge, believed to be made in Pakistan, and a ‘Winchester Made-in-USA 12-bore’ cartridge. The findings have added gravity to the case, leading the police to probe possible terrorist connections.

“The discovery of Pakistan-made ammunition suggests the seriousness of this case. The police are intensively investigating and working to identify those involved in the violence,” the Sambhal SP said.

Meanwhile, to restore normalcy, the municipal team has resumed cleaning operations in the area. Pathak reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure justice for the victims while holding the perpetrators accountable.

As the investigation unfolds, the involvement of foreign-made ammunition has raised questions about the extent of external influences in the violence, prompting heightened scrutiny by state and central agencies.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

In a bid to maintain peace and order in the district, the Sambhal district administration on Saturday prohibited the entry of outsiders till December 10.

“No outsider, any social organisation or any public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10,” Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya in a statement issued here.

The move assumes significance as it came on a day when a 15-member delegation of the Samajwadi Party (SP) was to visit Sambhal to gather information about the violence that broke out after a survey in the Shahi Jama Masjid complex.

Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the 15-member SP delegation, told reporters outside his residence in Lucknow that Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad had called him up and requested him to not visit Sambhal.

“The DM Sambhal had also called me up telling me that the ban on entry of outsiders has been extended till December 10. So I will now visit the party office and discuss the issue before deciding on our next action,” said Pandey.

“The government perhaps wanted to prevent me to hide its wrongs in Sambhal as our visit would have exposed its several mistakes,” he added.

Heavy security was deployed outside Pandey’s residence since Friday night.

SP state president Shyam Lal Pal had said earlier on Friday that a party delegation will go to Sambhal on Saturday on the instructions of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The team will submit the report to the party chief after taking detailed information about the violence that took place there, he said.

A note shared earlier on ‘X’ by the SP state president had said that the delegation includes Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Lal Bihari Yadav, SP state president Shyamlal Pal, MPs Ziaur Rahman Barq, Harendra Malik, Ruchi Veera, Iqra Hasan and Neeraj Maurya.

Ziaur Rahman Barq has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for allegedly committing “provocative acts”.

MLAs Kamal Akhtar, Ravidas Mehrotra, Nawab Iqbal Mahmood and Pinky Singh Yadav will also be part of the delegation, the note said.

The Samajwadi Party had earlier postponed the proposed visit of its delegation after getting assurance from the Director General of Police of a fair investigation into the violence.

Pandey had said in a press conference last Tuesday: “I was supposed to leave for Sambhal at 10 am today, but in the meantime I spoke to the Director General of Police. We told him that our people are being framed, even FIRs have been lodged against those who were not present there.” Pandey said the DGP assured him of a fair investigation and asked them to visit Sambhal after three days.

Meanwhile, Congress state president Ajay Rai told PTI that a party delegation will go there on December 2.

The situation in Sambhal has been tense since the first survey of the city’s Jama Masjid was conducted on November 19 on the orders of a local court.

The petitioner has claimed that Jama Masjid stands on a previous Harihar temple.

Violence erupted earlier on November 24 as the protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel, leading to stone pelting and arson.

Four people died and several others, including policemen, were injured in the violence.

The police have denied firing at the protesters opposing the survey.

The Sambhal district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in the district.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)