November 2024 violence: Court orders FIR against 12 policemen in Sambhal, including former circle officer

Taking cognisance of the November 2024 violence in Sambhal, a Chief Judicial Magistrate has ordered the registration of an FIR against 12 police personnel, including the then Circle Officer of Sambhal, Anuj Chaudhary.

The order was passed on a petition filed by one Yameen, whose son Alam was allegedly shot in police firing.

Soon after, media reports quoting Sambhal Superintendent of Police, Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, said, “This is an illegal order and the police will challenge the court order.” He added, “We will file an appeal and no FIR will be registered as a judicial inquiry in the matter has already been conducted."

In his petition filed in the court of CJM Vibhanshu Sudhir on 6 February 2025, Yameen, a resident of Mohalla Khaggu Sarai Anjuman in the Nakhasa police station area, stated that his 24-year-old son Alam had left home to sell rusks on 24 November 2024.

Upon reaching the Shahi Jama Masjid area, the police allegedly opened fire on him, seriously injuring him. Yameen alleged that the firing was unprovoked and that the police targeted the innocent youth in the name of suppressing violence.

The petition named 12 policemen as accused, including Chaudhary, and Inspector Anuj Tomar of Sambhal Kotwali. The petitioner claimed that the police did not conduct any proper investigation after the incident and were also negligent in taking the injured youth to the hospital.

The case was heard on 9 January 2026, during which the court, after careful consideration of the petition, ordered the registration of an FIR against all the named police officers under the relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita.

Anuj Chaudhary was the Circle Officer of Sambhal at that time and is currently posted as ASP Rural in Firozabad. The order has caused a stir in the police department and the district administration. Several senior officials are in contact with higher authorities given the seriousness of the matter.

This case of violence in Sambhal is linked to a clash that occurred in the Shahi Jama Masjid area in November 2024, which involved a confrontation between the police and local residents. The police claimed that force was used to control the violence, while local residents described it as excessive and an attack on innocent people.

(With agency inputs)