THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Prayagraj, Jan 3: The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the petition of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur Rehman Barq seeking the quashing of the FIR against him in the Sambhal violence case. The court has directed MP Barq to cooperate with the police investigation.
However, the High Court has temporarily stayed his arrest.
Notably, the Sambhal police have named MP Barq as the main accused in the violence case. Barq has dismissed all allegations as baseless, claiming they were politically motivated.
Violence erupted in Sambhal during the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The unrest resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to several others, including 20 police personnel.
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The violence broke out after claims that the Shahi Jama Masjid was built over a temple and subsequent surveys, leading to incidents of stone-pelting and arson.
Police allege MP Barq gave inflammatory speech
The Sambhal police have accused MP Barq of delivering an inflammatory speech at the mosque days before the violence. According to the police, the violence erupted following Barq’s statement.
Reports suggest that the FIR also names Sohail Iqbal, son of local MLA Iqbal Mahmood. In his petition, Barq alleged that he and his party are being targeted as part of a conspiracy.
Barq argued that his arrest would cause him irreparable harm, claiming he was not present in Sambhal during the incident. He stated that he was in Bengaluru at the time of the violence and decided to stay in Delhi after learning about the FIR. The MP also mentioned that he had urged community members to maintain peace.
