The local court in Sambhal has scheduled March 27 to hear the bail plea of Zafar Ali, president of the Shahi Jama Masjid Management Committee, who was detained in the aftermath of the violence that erupted on November 24 during a protest against a court-mandated survey of the historical Mughal-era mosque.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nirbhay Narain Rai presided over the preliminary hearing, during which the defense requested both interim and permanent bail for Ali. The judge has also ordered the prosecution to submit the case diary by the next hearing to facilitate a comprehensive review of the arguments from both sides.
Zafar Ali, who was arrested on Sunday and subsequently placed in a two-day judicial remand at Moradabad jail, has claimed innocence, stating to reporters during a medical examination at a Chandausi hospital, “I did not instigate any riot. I have been falsely implicated.”
His legal representation, led by lawyer Amir Hussain, argued that the charges, which include various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to rioting, obstructing public servants, and promoting enmity between groups, were baseless and aimed at silencing him.
In addition to the legal proceedings, there was a significant response from the local legal community, with many lawyers in the Sambhal district staging a one-day pen-down strike to protest Ali’s arrest. They contend that his detention is an attempt to prevent him from providing testimony to a judicial commission set up by the Uttar Pradesh government. This commission is tasked with investigating the circumstances leading to the violence, which resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others.
Mohammad Nazar Qureshi, president of the Chandausi District Court Bar Association, expressed solidarity with Ali, noting, “All courts in Sambhal, Chandausi, and Gunnaur remained closed today as part of the strike.”
