A court in Sambhal has directed the registration of an FIR against former Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary and 12 other police personnel in connection with allegations of police firing during the Sambhal violence of November 2024. The order has been passed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which empowers a magistrate to direct police to register a case and initiate investigation.

The order was passed by Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vibhanshu Sudhir, directing police to register an FIR against former CO Sambhal Anuj Chaudhary, Inspector Anuj Tomar, and around 10 to 12 other police personnel, including unidentified officers. The case is linked to allegations that a young man was shot by police during the violence that broke out in Sambhal during the disputed survey period.

APCR Reacts: “Satisfied with the Court’s Direction”

Reacting to the development, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said the order comes after a long legal struggle. APCR General Secretary Nadeem Khan told The Observer Post that the organisation is satisfied with the court’s direction.

“This order comes after nearly a year of sustained legal effort. Multiple applications were filed in this matter…” he said, calling for accountability in cases of alleged police brutality and loss of innocent lives.

The Petition: Father Alleges Police Shot His Son

According to court records, the petition was filed by Yameen, a resident of Mohalla Khaggu Sarai in the Nakhasa police station area. Yameen stated that his son, Alam, left home on November 24, 2024, to sell papad.

He alleged that when Alam reached the Shahi Jama Masjid area, the police opened fire and shot him. The petition accused police personnel of targeting civilians during the violence and of unlawful firing in a communally sensitive atmosphere.

The complaint was filed on February 6, 2024, naming the then Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudhary, Sambhal Kotwali Inspector Anuj Tomar, and other police personnel as respondents. After hearings, the matter was placed before the court on January 9, 2026, after which the CJM ordered the registration of an FIR against all the accused officers.

Advocate: Victim Took Treatment While Hiding

Advocate Chaudhary Akhtar Hussain, representing the victim’s family, told the media that his client’s son was forced to take treatment while hiding from the police. Hussain added he was informed about the court order on Tuesday evening, while the written copy was yet to be received since the order was passed late.

Where the Officers Are Posted Now

At present, Anuj Chaudhary is posted as Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) in Firozabad, while Anuj Tomar is the station in charge of Kotwali Chandausi in Sambhal district.

Chaudhary was serving as CO Sambhal at the time of the violence and was later promoted. He had drawn criticism for his role during the unrest and for a controversial remark referring to “52 Jumme and one Holi”, which triggered public outrage and condemnation from several quarters.

Background: Sambhal Violence During Shahi Jama Masjid Survey

The Sambhal violence erupted in November 2024 after a court ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition claiming the mosque was originally the Shri Harihar Temple.

The first phase of the survey was conducted on November 19, followed by a second phase on November 24. During the second survey, a large crowd gathered, leading to stone pelting and subsequent police firing.

In the violence, five people were killed, while several officials—including then SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, CO Anuj Chaudhary, a deputy collector, and at least 29 police personnel—were injured.

Police registered 12 FIRs at Sambhal Kotwali and Nakhasa police stations, naming more than 2,200 people as accused. Among those booked were Samajwadi Party MP Ziaurrahman Barq and Suhail Iqbal, the son of SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood.

Arrests and Jailings

So far, 134 people have been sent to jail in connection with the violence, including Shahi Jama Masjid president Zafar Ali Advocate. Zafar Ali was released on bail by the Allahabad High Court on August 1, 2024, after spending 131 days in jail.

Sambhal as Part of a Wider Pattern: Muslim Allegations of Police Bias

For many Muslims and civil rights defenders, the Sambhal incident is not seen as an isolated episode. Instead, it is viewed against a broader pattern in India where Muslim communities have repeatedly alleged that during communal unrest the police often act with prejudice—through excessive force, selective arrests, and delayed or denied justice in cases involving Muslim victims.

Across multiple flashpoints in India, civil rights groups have documented recurring grievances raised by Muslim families, including:

1) Allegations of disproportionate police firing impacting Muslims during communal clashes
2) Claims of police targeting Muslim neighbourhoods during raids and arrests
3) Registration of large-scale FIRs and arrests where Muslims are widely booked as “accused”
4) Delays in filing FIRs when Muslims are victims, and quick counter-cases when Muslims complain

In this context, the Sambhal court order is seen as significant because it directs the registration of an FIR in a case where the allegations involve police firing and injury to a civilian from the Muslim community during a tense communal situation.

Institutional Concerns: Policing and Structural Exclusion

Muslim concerns about policing in India have not remained only at the level of public perception or community accounts. A number of reports and studies have highlighted structural problems faced by Muslims within state institutions and criminal justice systems.

Sachar Committee (2006): Representation and Access to Institutions

The Sachar Committee Report (2006), one of the most significant official studies on the condition of Muslims in India, highlighted deep socio-economic disadvantage and underrepresentation in several areas. Though the report’s focus was broader than policing alone, it reinforced the view that structural exclusion affects Muslim access to justice, public employment, and institutional responsiveness.

For many Muslims, this underrepresentation also translates into a wider reality where police stations and administrative institutions are often viewed as spaces where Muslim complaints are either delayed, dismissed, or treated with hostility—particularly during communal tensions.

Human Rights Reports: Allegations of Police Complicity and Impunity

International and domestic human rights organisations have also raised concerns about communal violence in India and patterns of alleged police misconduct. Reports on episodes like the Delhi violence (2020) documented allegations of police complicity, bias, and failure to protect minority citizens. Such reports have argued that impunity for abuses deepens minority distrust in law enforcement and weakens rule of law.

These patterns—whether fully established in courts or widely contested—have shaped Muslim public memory and sharpened the demand for accountability in cases like Sambhal.

Muslims and the “Undertrial” Crisis: The Burden of the Criminal Justice System

Another major structural issue repeatedly highlighted is incarceration. Studies based on NCRB prison data have shown that Muslims remain overrepresented among undertrial prisoners—individuals jailed without conviction, often for long periods. Researchers and rights defenders argue that this reflects systemic problems such as discriminatory policing practices, lack of legal support, socio-economic disadvantage, and communal profiling.

For many Muslim families, prolonged imprisonment without conviction is seen as a form of punishment in itself—where even eventual acquittal does not return the years lost to jail, the damage to livelihoods, or the stigma attached to being accused.

A Case That Reopens Questions of Accountability

The Sambhal court directive ordering an FIR against the police personnel is therefore being widely discussed not only as a legal development but also as an episode that brings back larger questions raised by Muslims across India: who is held accountable when the police are accused?

In cases of communal violence, Muslims and civil rights groups have long argued that the line between maintaining law and order and targeting a community often becomes blurred. The Sambhal case, now ordered for FIR registration through judicial direction, has become one of the latest flashpoints in this long-running debate over policing, prejudice, and justice.