Members of the judicial commission set up by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the riots that erupted during a survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on 24 November last year recorded the statements of government employees on Thursday.
The commission, which includes former High Court Judge Devendra Arora, former Director General of Police (DGP) Arvind Kumar Jain, and former Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad, is stationed at the PWD guest house on Chandausi Road to record the statements, local officials said.
The commission was formed following the riots, which killed four people and injured several, including policemen. It had previously visited Sambhal on 1 December and 21 January. During the last visit, 51 complaints were registered with the commission in relation to the violence.
Victims of the 1978, 1986, and 1992 riots in Sambhal held a procession to the PWD guest house and submitted a memorandum to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Sambhal.
Victims have long been demanding a re-investigation of previous riots. Among them are those who lost their loved ones and suffered damage to their property.
Manoj Kumar, a victim of the 1978 riots, told reporters that his grandparents, Kishan Singh and Nareni, were burnt alive at the gate of Banwari Lal Murari Lal during the riots. Their bodies were never recovered, and the family never received justice.
"We have not got justice for it till date... The culprits should be punished, and the entire incident should be disclosed. We request the Yogi government to set up a judicial commission to bring out the truth of the 1978 riots," Manoj Kumar said.
Similarly, Vishnu Shankar Rastogi, another victim of the 1978 riots, recalled how his shop was destroyed in the violence. Despite his significant loss, he received a meagre compensation of Rs 200.
Rastogi emphasised that the compensation did not match the scale of his loss. He also called for a re-investigation of the 1978 riots to "uncover" the truth, adding, "Our MPs and MLAs at the time were not sympathetic to our plight, and we seek justice even today."
SDM Vandana Mishra confirmed that some people had submitted a memorandum requesting a detailed investigation into the past riots.
Mishra explained that the judicial commission is currently taking statements from government officers and employees, while earlier dates were allocated for statements from the general public. She assured that the public would be informed of any future hearing dates.
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