Sambhal: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday dismissed as “misleading” reports going around that the investigation into the 1978 Sambhal riots, which led to several deaths, would be reopened.
The clarification comes after a report claimed that Sambhal SP has got a letter seeking re-investigation into the communal riots, decades after they took place and a report on the same to be submitted within a week.
“A misleading piece of information is being spread through social media and other platforms that a reinvestigation into the 1978 communal riots in Sambhal is being initiated. However, no such development is taking place,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said.
He added, “MLC Shreesh Chandra Sharma submitted a letter under Rule 115 on December 17, seeking details about the 1978 riots. In response, the government requested information on the matter.”
The relevant information is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the government upon completion, he stated. The police issued this clarification to address widespread rumours of a potential new investigation into the decades-old riots.
Tensions have been high in Sambhal since the violence on November 24, which erupted during a court-ordered survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in the city’s Kot Garvi area. The following violence claimed four lives and left several others injured.
The purpose of seeking details into the previous probe was to identify people who were involved in the riots but their names were either never revealed or suppressed due to political reasons. Additionally, sources suggest that the administration aims to determine the real number of people who were displaced after the riots.
In December, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also said that 184 people were killed in the 1978 riots and many others lost their homes. Sources indicate that the joint investigation will focus on the actual number of deaths that occurred during the riots, as well as the number of people displaced.
