Sambhal violence: Judge who ordered FIR against ASP Anuj Chaudhary, other cops transferred

Lucknow: Vibhanshu Sudheer, Sambhal chief judicial magistrate, who had ordered registration of FIR against ASP Anuj Chaudhary and over a dozen other police personnel in connection with 2024 Sambhal violence case has been transferred.

Sudheer, was among the 14 judicial officers transferred by the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday. Sudheer has been sent to Sultanpur as Civil Judge, senior division.

The violence took place in Sambhal during a court mandated survey of a mosque, killing five people.

Though the order for registration of FIR was delivered on January 9, no FIR has been registered yet. Senior police officials had termed the order ‘illegal’ and said that it would be challenged in a higher court.

The officials claimed that the mob that had gathered around the mosque during the survey had resorted to violence.

The directive of the district court had come on a petition filed by Sambhal resident Yameen, who claimed that his son Alam was shot thrice by the cops on November 24, 2024 when violence broke out in the town. Yameen had named Chaudhary and some other cops in his petition. Incidentally Alam was among the accused in the violence.

Chaudhary who was then the Circle Officer (CO) in Sambhal, was promoted and was now an ASP in Firozabad.

Alam’s sister alleged that her family had been threatened by the police and that her father and brother had gone to an undisclosed location.

Chaudhary had shot into limelight after he had asked the Muslims to offer ‘namaz’ inside their homes if they wanted to avoid colours during the Holi festival.

Five people were killed and several others, including cops, were injured during the violence. The violence erupted during the court mandated survey of a mosque, which the Hindus claimed, was built after demolishing a Temple during the Mughal era.