Security deployment continue in UP's Sambhal amid ongoing tensions

The security deployment in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district continued for the sixth consecutive day on Saturday amid tensions over the Shahi Jama Masjid Survey.

As per party sources, a delegation of the Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to visit Sambhal today.

The stones-pelting incident that escalated into violence over the survey team on November 24 claimed the lives of 4 and injured many, including officials and locals.

UP Governor Anandiben Patel has constituted a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission to be headed by Justice Devendra Kumar Arora (Retired), Allahabad High Court, to probe the stone-pelting incident in Sambhal.

Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court asked Uttar Pradesh to ensure "harmony and peace" in Sambhal and directed the trial court there not to proceed in the suit against the Jama Masjid till the petition filed by the Masjid Committee against the survey order is listed in the High Court.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar directed that the report of the advocate commissioner, who conducted the survey of the mosque, should be kept in a sealed cover and should not be opened in the meantime.

"Peace and harmony have to be maintained. We don't want anything to happen... We have to be absolutely, totally neutral and ensure nothing wrong is done," said the bench at the outset.

The top court was hearing the plea of the Committee of Management of Jama Masjid in Sambhal against the November 19 order of the local court for the survey of the mosque.

As the matter came for hearing, the bench told senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the mosque committee, that they had to approach the High Court challenging the order passed by the trial court for the survey instead of directly approaching the Supreme Court.

On November 19, the civil judge, senior division, directed the court commissioner to do a survey of the mosque and file the report in the court.

The Masjid Committee moved the apex court directly, citing "extraordinary situation.".

The petition has been filed under Section 136 of the Constitution, in which the Supreme Court has the power to directly adjudicate any matter.

Tensions in Sambhal had been simmering since the local court ordered a survey of the mosque on November 19. Opposing the court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid people clashed with police, resulting in the deaths of four persons.

The survey followed a petition filed by some persons in the local court, claiming that the site of the mosque was previously a Harihar temple.