A judge in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal who had earlier this month ordered a case against several police officials in connection with the shooting of a man in 2024 was among 14 judicial officers transferred on Tuesday by the Allahabad High Court, Live Law reported.
Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate Vibhanshu Sudheer had ordered a first information report against former Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary, Kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar and 15 to 20 unidentified police personnel. The case pertained to a man named Alam being shot and injured during unrest in the town in November 2024.
The Sambhal Police had said they would move the High Court against the order.
Sudheer was transferred on Tuesday to Sultanpur as a civil judge (senior division).
A group of lawyers in Sambhal held a protest on Wednesday against the transfer of Sudheer.
Aditya Singh, who was the civil judge (senior division) at Sambhal’s Chandausi town, has replaced him, The Indian Express reported. Singh was the judge who passed the order directing a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town.
The November 2024 violence in Sambhal, which left five dead, had broken out after a group of Muslims objected to the survey.
The survey had been ordered in a suit claiming that the mosque had been built in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babar on the site of the “centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki”.
Earlier this month, Sudheer had allowed an application by Alam’s father, Yameen, seeking that a case be filed against the police officials who allegedly fired at his son. The applicant alleged that on November 24, 2024, his son was selling rusks and biscuits on his cart near the Jama Masjid at Sambhal, when police personnel suddenly fired at the crowd with the intention to kill.
The judge had said that while it was clear that Alam had been hit by gunshots, the identity of the shooter needed to be investigated. He had remarked that since the offence of attempted murder is a serious one, it was unlikely that the victim would spare the actual attacker and falsely accuse someone else, according to Live Law.
Sudheer had also said that for criminal acts, the police could not invoke the defence that they were merely discharging their official duties.
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