The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday took Shahi Jama Masjid president Zafar Ali into custody in connection with the November 24 violence case.
When asked by PTI whether Ali had been arrested, Sambhal Kotwali in-charge Anuj Kumar Tomar said he had been taken into custody by the SIT for statement recording.
On being asked if the detention was related to the November 24 violence, he confirmed that Ali had been taken into custody for questioning in the same case.
The Mughal-era mosque here has been at the centre of a major row after a petition claimed that it was the site of an ancient Hindu temple.
The UP town has been tense since violence broke out on November 24 last year during protests against a court-ordered survey of the mosque.
Four people were killed and several others, including police personnel, were injured in the violence.
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Sambhal violence probe
According to an ANI report, the SIT had filed a chargesheet of over 4,000 pages in six of the 12 cases in the November 24 Sambhal violence.
According to the charge sheet, there were 159 total accused in the case. It also mentioned that the weapons recovered from the site of violence and other places were manufactured in the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, and Czech Republic.
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Since November of last year, no other incident of violence has been reported in the area, and police also maintained tight security amid the Holi celebrations by carrying out the flag marches.
Officials and locals alike celebrated Holi peacefully, along with the Friday namaz for the Muslim community. The Jama Masjid was also covered with a tarpaulin sheet to ensure that no colours or vandalism happen to the mosque.
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Circle Officer Anuj Chowdhary had led a flag march along with other police personnel to ensure the law and order situation in the district before Holi. Other than police, paramilitary forces also conducted a flag march in Sambhal, whereas the administration is using drones for proper monitoring of the situation in the district.
The act of whitewashing the Jama masjid, a regular affair was also done after a court order.