A local court here on Thursday rejected the bail pleas of 15 accused in connection with t🌳he riots that erupted during a 𒐪survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal last year, officials said.
The violence on November 24 left four people de♕ad and several injured. The survey was linked to a pet🧔ition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site of the mosque.
Additional District Judge (ADJ)-II, Nirbhay Narayan Singh, heard the bail petitio꧟ns of the accused ♍but denied bail citing strong evidence presented in court, Government counsel Hariom Prakash Saini told PTI.
"All the accused were identified in CCTV footage and were named in the FIR by the complainant. Despite prohibitory orders in place, they were part of the mob that was asked to disperse. However, they💧 refused and instead attacked the police with stones and firearms," Saini said, quoting the judgment.
♕"Several civilians were killed, and about 25 policꦯemen were injured in the incident. Government vehicles were torched and police equipment, including magazines and rubber bullets, was looted," Saini said.
The ♑court reviewed the case records, including evidence from the case registered at Sambhal police station, involving 13 accused -- Amir, Sameer, Yaqub, Sajꦏauddin, Mohammad Rehan, Mohammad Ali, Shariq, Naim, Mohammad Gulfam, Mohammad Salim, Tahzeeb, Mohammad Firoz, and Mohammad Shadab.
Bail applications for all of them were rejected.
Similarly, in a case registered at Nakhasa polic𝓰e station, the court denied bail to accused♊ Rukayya and Farhana, officials said.
On November 19, the local court passed an ex-parte order for a survey of the mos♔que by an advocate🔥 commissioner after taking note of a plea of the Hindu side claiming the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526 after demolishing a temple.
On November 24, during a second round of survey, protesting locals clashed with securiওty personnel, leading to the violence.
