Sambhal Firing Case: Allahabad High Court Stays FIR Order Against Former Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudhary

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday stayed the Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate's direction to register a first information report (FIR) against former Sambhal circle officer (CO) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary and several other police personnel in connection with allegations of unlawful firing during violence in Sambhal in November 2024.

A bench of Justice Samit Gopal stayed the FIR order issued on January 9 by the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Sambhal, saying the matter requires closer judicial scrutiny. Court has now slated further hearings on the challenge for February 24.

The controversy traces back to the unrest that broke out on November 24, 2024, during a court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal district, part of a longstanding dispute over whether the mosque was built on the site of a demolished temple. The survey, ordered as part of a broader legal process, escalated into clashes between locals and police.

In January, the CJM directed registration of an FIR against Chaudhary, then in charge of Sambhal Kotwali, and other officers following a complaint by Yameen, whose son Mohammad Alam was allegedly shot by police during the violence. The application claimed police fired into a crowd, injuring Alam while he was selling snacks near the mosque.

Both the State of Uttar Pradesh and Chaudhary approached the high court contesting the magistrate’s order, asserting that mandatory legal safeguards under Section 175(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), which governs proceedings against public servants, were ignored.

Counsel for the state argued that the magistrate “exceeded the boundaries” of the provision by not properly considering statutory requirements before directing an FIR.

The high court’s stay means that while the challenge proceeds, no criminal case will move forward based on the magistrate’s January order.

In the main violence case, according to the prosecution, an FIR was registered against 700-800 unidentified individuals accused of pelting stones at a police team during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area of Sambhal. Amid the chaos, an unidentified person reportedly opened fire, resulting in a police officer sustaining a gunshot wound to the leg. The violence left four people dead and several others injured.

In another case arising out of this violence, the high court recently granted interim anticipatory bail to Mohd Alam.