'He went out to take groceries, police killed him'

Families of the four men killed in the Sunday violence in Sambhal are now forced to contend with the double tragedy of death and poverty, reliant as they were on the frugal income the four once brought.

IMAGE: Stone pelters seen damaging a vehicle when a survey team arrived at the Shahi Jama Masjid to survey the mosque, in Sambhal on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Naeem, Bilal, Noman, and Kaif were killed in a violent fracas that broke out in Sambhal's Kot area.

Naeem, a resident of Kot Garvi area, ran a sweets shop, Bilal, a resident of the Hayatnagar Police Station area, had a clothes shop in the local supermarket, and Kaif, from an area under the Nakhasa Police Station area, sold cosmetics in a weekly market.

"My father, Haneef, is a vendor. Since the financial condition of my family is not good, Bilal started a clothing shop in the local supermarket. We are four brothers," Mohammad Aleem said.

He said his brother was shot on his way back home from the shop.

"Our material (cloth) had come, and we had gone to the shop to keep it. As we were returning after closing the shop, police started a lathi-charge and fired bullets. A bullet hit him. We searched for him in the hospital, where we came to know that he had been referred to Moradabad, where he died," Aleem said.

Naeem's brother Tasleem said he was out buying groceries when he was killed.

"He was going to take refined oil and 'maida', when the violence broke out. He did not even know about it. Police killed him," Tasleem said.

Naeem is survived by two sons and two daughters.

Kaif is survived by his three brothers, a cousin of his, Fardeen said.

The family of Noman refused to speak to the media.

Superintendent of Police of Sambhal Krishan Kumar said around 20-22 police personnel were injured in the violence. One of them is undergoing treatment in Meerut.

A Circle Officer is also facing a bit of problems, rest of them are recuperating, he said.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the mosque was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.

On Sunday, a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team resumed its work. They then clashed with security personnel, torched vehicles, and pelted stones.

According to official figures, four people died in the violent confrontation.

While a magisterial probe into the violence is on, the Sambhal SP on Monday said that the situation was under control and emphasised that 'strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest'.

He said police were analysing drone footage, CCTV camera recordings, and mobile videos to identify the suspects and apprehend them.

Police have arrested 25 people so far and registered seven first information reports (FIRs), naming the Samajwadi Party's Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, and Sohail Iqbal -- son of the party's local MLA Iqbal Mehmood -- and 2,750 unidentified individuals as accused.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya on Monday said that the survey was conducted under court orders.