Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 8 : In a significant development, the Allahabad High Court has granted interim relief to Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq by putting a stay on the proceedings of the lower court, in connection with the Sambhal violence case.
Barq is the Samajwadi Party's MP from Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency.
The High Court sought a reply from the state government within three weeks regarding the petition challenging the chargesheet filed in connection with the Sambhal violence case.
The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for September 9. The case was heard by a single bench led by Justice Sameer Jain.
Senior advocates Imran Ullah, Vineet Vikram, and Iqbal Ahmed represented the MP, while Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal appeared on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The petition challenges the chargesheet submitted in the Sambhal violence case, seeking its quashing by the High Court.
In June, Uttar pradesh Police filed a chargesheet against the Barq and others in connection with the violence that broke out near the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal in November last year.
Sambhal SP KK Bishnoi said that Barq was accused of delivering a provocative speech that allegedly incited violence.
He added that Sohail Iqbal, son of SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, was also initially named as an accused; however, later his name was omitted from the final charge sheet due to the availability of sufficient evidence to support the allegations.
"... A total of 12 cases were registered, out of which the police filed seven. Till yesterday, police had filed a chargesheet in all the cases. A total of 92 people have been arrested and sent to jail till now. Yesterday, sheets were filed against MP Zia ur Rehman Barq, Jama Masjid Sadar chief Zafar Ali, and others under 335/2024," KK Bishnoi told ANI.
"MP Zia ur Rehman Barq, son of Sambhal MLA, Sohail Iqbal and several others were named; after a probe, Sohail Iqbal was let off. MP Zia ur Rehman Barq not only gave inflammatory speeches but also ensured the crowd gathered on 24th November. He spoke to Jama Masjid Sadar on the intervening night of November 23-24 to make sure the survey doesn't happen. Police have charge-sheeted the Member of Parliament in this case," he added.
Violence broke out in Sambhal's Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24 last year, which took the lives of four people.