Sambhal Violence: Court denies interim bail to Shahi Jama Masjid chief Zafar Ali
According to the prosecution, a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was being conducted when a crowd of 700-800 people gathered and attempted to disrupt the process.
A local court in Sambhal on Thursday rejected the interim bail plea of Zafar Ali, the president of Sambhal Jama Masjid, who has been in jail since March 23 on charges of inciting violence.
The hearing took place in the court of Additional District Judge Nirbhay Narayan Rai. Zafar Ali’s lawyer, Asif Akhtar, argued that the Sambhal violence was reported to have occurred on the morning of November 24, 2024.
According to the prosecution, a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid was being conducted when a crowd of 700-800 people gathered and attempted to disrupt the process. However, Akhtar emphasised that the FIR did not attribute any direct involvement to Zafar Ali.
The only charge against Zafar Ali is that he held a press conference on November 25, 2024, where he criticised the administration’s handling of the incident. His lawyer argued that making statements in a press conference does not constitute fabricating false evidence. The defense also claimed that administrative officials were pressuring Zafar Ali to change his statement.
The plea further mentioned that Zafar Ali, who is 70 years old and a regular legal practitioner, suffers from heart disease. Additionally, he was scheduled to testify before the judicial commission on March 24, 2025, but was arrested a day earlier on March 23.
The hearing for the regular bail application was postponed to April 2 due to the absence of the case diary. Heavy police security was deployed during the proceedings.
Lawyers protest
Following Zafar Ali’s arrest, several legal organisations, including the District Bar Association, Civil Court Bar Association, Tax Bar Association, and Tehsil Bar Association, convened a meeting at the court premises. After the meeting, the lawyers staged a protest, condemning the arrest as unjust and accusing the police of arbitrary action.
Advocate Abdul Rahman stated that Zafar Ali’s arrest was unconstitutional and alleged that his family has not been allowed to meet him in jail, terming it a violation of human rights. The protesting lawyers demanded a fair investigation and called for the transfer of the investigating officer and other police officials from the district. They also demanded that an independent agency conduct a thorough inquiry into the case.
The protests escalated with lawyers raising slogans against the administration in the Munsif Court premises. They argued that Zafar Ali’s case has received support from multiple bar associations across the state. Several advocates participated in the demonstration, vowing to continue their legal battle against what they termed as an unjustified arrest.