A three-member judicial commission has submitted its findings on the 2024 Sambhal violence to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The commission, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, has presented a detailed account of the reasons, consequences, and deeper issues connected with the clashes. The report highlights demographic changes, political involvement, and organised planning behind the unrest.
According to the report, the Hindu population in Sambhal has seen a steep decline over decades. At the time of Independence, Hindus made up around 45 percent of the district’s population. Today, that number has dropped to just 20 percent. The inquiry states that communal clashes, political appeasement, and targeted violence have played a key role in this demographic shift.
The report has also flagged Sambhal as a sensitive area where communal violence has occurred repeatedly. Since Independence, the district has seen as many as 15 riots, leaving behind a history of tension and mistrust between communities.
The commission’s findings paint a troubling picture of Sambhal. One of the major highlights is the revelation that the November 2024 violence was not sudden but pre-planned. According to the report, there was a conspiracy to target Hindus during the riots. Rioters were allegedly brought in from outside the district to escalate the violence. However, the timely presence of police in Hindu-majority areas prevented large-scale killings.
The report also mentions that Sambhal has become a hub for illegal activities. Terrorist organisations are said to have a presence in the region, with the US even declaring Maulana Sanaul Haq, linked to Sambhal, as a global terrorist. Alongside this, illegal arms and narcotics gangs are active in the area, further adding to law-and-order problems.
Another important detail is the role of rivalry within the Muslim community. The report highlights that a violent clash broke out between Turk Pathans and converted Hindu Pathans during the unrest. This internal conflict led to four deaths in firing incidents.
The findings stress that Sambhal’s communal issues are not limited to religious differences alone but also extend to political, social, and criminal networks that feed unrest.
The commission directly links the violence to a provocative speech made on November 22, 2024, by local MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq. Addressing a gathering at the Shahi Jama Masjid, he reportedly said, “We are the owners of this country, not servants or slaves. A mosque was here, a mosque is here, and it will remain until the end of time. We will not allow another Ayodhya here.”
Just two days after this statement, full-scale clashes broke out on November 24, 2024. According to the report, the speech created an atmosphere of anger and division, laying the foundation for violence. The commission concludes that the clashes were not a result of spontaneous anger but part of a larger, organised conspiracy.
It further identifies several people as central figures in planning the violence. These include MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq himself, Suhail Iqbal, the son of a local MLA, and key members of the Intizamia Committee of the mosque. Their involvement, the commission notes, shows how local politics and religious bodies combined to fuel unrest.
The dispute that sparked the November 2024 violence had been building up for some time. On November 19, 2024, Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a case in the Sambhal district court. They claimed that the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal was built on the site of a Hindu temple.
Just days after this case was filed, tensions rose in the district. On November 24, 2024, violent clashes broke out between the Turk and Pathan communities. The violence left four people dead and caused heavy unrest across the region. Illegal arms and criminal gangs played a major role in the clashes, according to the inquiry report.
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The commission’s report is not just about one incident but also about long-standing issues in Sambhal. It points out how decades of communal violence, combined with political appeasement and weak law enforcement, have changed the district’s character. The steady decline of the Hindu population is presented as a worrying sign of imbalance and division in the society.
The report recommends that authorities take Sambhal’s situation seriously to prevent further radicalisation and violence. It also calls for stronger action against illegal arms trade, narcotics networks, and terrorist organisations active in the region.
The Sambhal violence of November 2024 was one of the most serious communal flare-ups in recent years in Uttar Pradesh. The judicial commission’s report makes it clear that the violence was not accidental but premeditated, with political speeches, organised gangs, and outside involvement playing major roles.
By handing over the report to CM Yogi Adityanath, the commission has underlined the urgent need for action. If unchecked, the communal and criminal tensions in Sambhal could pose bigger challenges in the future. The findings suggest that ensuring peace in Sambhal will require firm steps against both political provocations and illegal networks that feed violence.
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