Sambhal Police Arrest Woman For Pelting Stone In Jama Masjid Violence, Seek Non-Bailable Warrants For 91 Absconding Accused

The Sambhal police in Uttar Pradesh are preparing to seek non-bailable warrants from a local court for 91 accused absconding individuals in the violence against a court-ordered survey of Jama Masjid.

These individuals are allegedly implicated in the extensive unrest that erupted in the town on 24 November 2024, resulting in five fatalities and dozens of injuries, including those to police officials.

The statement from Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi comes after the police arrested a woman named Zikra, whose video of pelting stones on police from a rooftop went viral.

"We were looking for that woman for about a month," Bishnoi said on the arrest of the woman on Sunday (5 January). He added that the money for loss to the public property will be extracted from the accused.

The District Magistrate (DM) office has estimated the loss of Rs 1.18 crore in the violence. The UP Police is also considering imposing the National Security Act (NSA) on the accused but no decision has been taken yet.

“We have so far arrested 54 accused, including six women who pelted stones on the police from their rooftops that day. 91 more offenders are on the Sambhal police’s radar for their involvement in the violence," the SP added.

"They have either taken shelter in other states or are at their relatives’ places in nearby districts. We will approach the court to get the non-bailable warrants to hasten the arrest process. None will be spared," he asserted.

Adnan Mohammed, a 30-year-old resident of Deepa Sarai locality from the town, was recently apprehended by the district police from Batla House in New Delhi for allegedly firing at the SP amidst the violence.

In addition, Zikra Khatun, 45, was also arrested on charges of allegedly throwing stones at high-ranking police officers during the violent event, Indian Express reported.