Court Grants Bail to Mosque President After Violent Protests

The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Zafar Ali, the president of the Sambhal Jama Masjid, following his arrest linked to violence during a mosque survey in November 2024. Ali, who is also a lawyer, was taken into custody in March 2025 after protests erupted in response to the survey, which was conducted under court orders and resulted in the deaths of four individuals.

The ruling came from a single bench of Justice Sameer Jain on Thursday. The protests occurred on November 24, 2024, when a team led by an advocate commissioner surveyed the historical mosque. Clashes ensued between protesters opposing the survey and security forces, leading to significant unrest in the district. Demonstrators reportedly torched vehicles and clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and batons to restore order.

An FIR was filed at the Kotwali Sambhal police station against Zia ur Rahman Barq, a member of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party, and Sohail Iqbal, son of the local MLA Iqbal Mahmood. While the court stayed Barq’s arrest, it declined to dismiss the FIR against him. During the hearing, it was noted that Zafar Ali’s name was not initially included in the FIR, raising questions about his subsequent arrest.

Despite this, police detained Ali on March 23, 2025, accusing him of inciting violence during the survey. He has been held at Moradabad jail since his arrest. Following the violent events, the Uttar Pradesh government established a three-member judicial commission to investigate the incident. The commission includes retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain.

The ongoing situation reflects the tensions surrounding religious sites in India, particularly when historical structures are involved and community sentiments are at stake. The court’s decision to grant bail to Zafar Ali marks a significant development in the ongoing legal and social discourse surrounding the Sambhal mosque.