Did the SC Grant Bail to Three Accused in the Sambhal Jama Masjid Violence Case?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Oct 27 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has, on Monday, granted bail to three individuals implicated in the violence that erupted on November 24 of last year during a court-mandated survey of the Jama Masjid in UP's Sambhal. This survey aimed to ascertain if a temple existed at that location.
A bench led by Justices P.S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan issued the bail order for the accused—Danish, Faizan, and Nazir—who had appealed against the Allahabad High Court’s earlier ruling that denied their bail application.
The unrest originated amid a contentious inspection of the Jama Masjid premises in Sambhal, following a Chandausi court’s directive on November 19, 2024.
Consequently, several cases were filed, prompting a comprehensive investigation into the alleged conspiracies that fueled the violence.
While rejecting Faizan’s bail request, the Allahabad High Court remarked that he had been captured in CCTV footage and that incriminating evidence was recovered from him.
Justice Ashutosh Srivastava pointed out that Faizan’s supposed involvement in “stone pelting and arson” could not be dismissed and stated that “no valid grounds for releasing the applicant-accused on bail” were established at that moment.
His attorney contended before the Allahabad High Court that he had not been named in the FIR and was falsely implicated based on the confessions of co-accused individuals, which are inadmissible under Section 23 of the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The Allahabad HC made it clear that these observations were confined to the bail application decision and would not influence the trial.
The police charge sheet implicates Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and the son of local MLA Iqbal Mahmood among the accused. In total, 37 individuals have been specifically named, with an additional 3,750 individuals accused but not identified in relation to the violence.