Sambhal: Sahrid Satha, a native of Sambhal, now in UAE, is the man who orchestrated the November 24, 2024 violence in the city over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid that led to the deaths of five persons and several others injured.
The revelation came in the 4,400-page chargesheet filed by the UP Police in a court on Thursday. It also claimed Satha is believed to have links with Pakistan’s ISI and Dawood Ibrahim and he also operated a gang involved theft of more than 300 vehicles in the Delhi NCR region before fleeing the country on a fake passport, Times of India reported.
79 accused, all in jail
Circle Officer Kuldeep Kumar and Additional District Government Counsel Hari Om Prakash submitted chargesheets in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Archana Singh, naming 79 accused, all currently in jail, under various sections of the BNS.
Police stated that Satha fled the country using a fake passport. Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar Bishnoi was quoted as saying in the report that Satha’s involvement was uncovered during the investigation. “Based on the evidence we recovered, we can confirm that he orchestrated the violence. The chargesheets include members of Satha’s gang.”
This is the first set of chargesheets, with a supplementary filing expected as the investigation continues. The probe also revealed “unusual money transfers to account holders in Sambhal” and the presence of “foreign-made cartridges” at the sites of violence. Officers said Satha’s associates were responsible for the gunfire that killed four of the five victims, though no FIR was lodged in connection with the fifth death.
Role of SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, MLA’s son under lens
On the naming of Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and local MLA Iqbal Mahmood’s son, Suhail Iqbal in the chargesheet, a police official claimed that Satha has strong political links in Sambhal and its neighbouring districts and the role of all suspects named in the FIR is being examined.
A chargesheet will be submitted in that case once the investigation is complete, the official added.
The clashes erupted during a court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspection of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. Police registered seven FIRs, while the families of the deceased filed four more against unidentified individuals. Another FIR was lodged by an injured person against unidentified suspects of Turkic descent.
The SIT is investigating all 12 FIRs. Officers also recovered “bullets manufactured in Pakistan and the US,” suggesting possible external involvement in the violence. Among the accused are 37 named individuals, including Barq and Iqbal, while an additional 3,750 unidentified persons have been implicated in the case.
