Sambhal violence: Audio clip reveals how more people were mobilised with arms

An audio clip, exclusively accessed by India Today, has revealed how more people were mobilised with weapons during the violence that broke out in Sambhal over a court-mandated survey of a mosque. The violence, during which a mob clashed with police, resulted in the death of five people.
The investigation team recovered the audio clip from mobile phones that were seized from the suspects. In the clip, an unidentified person can be heard giving a call for more people to be mobilised near the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid.
“Saman lekar aa masjid ke paas, mere bhai ka ghar hai (bring weapons and come near the mosque, my brother’s house is nearby),” the person can be heard saying.
The police have arrested 25 people so far and registered seven FIRs. Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and local MLA Iqbal Mehmood’s son Sohail Iqbal are named in the FIRs.
In its FIR, police alleged that Barq visited the Shahi Jama Masjid days before the violence and made provocative remarks that led to the incident.
Tension started in the Uttar Pradesh city after a local court ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following claims that a temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted on Sunday as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with police accompanying the survey team.
The violence saw stones being pelted at security personnel and arson. Vehicles were torched, and over 20 police personnel were injured.
Earlier this week, the Uttar Pradesh police released images of the suspects involved in the violence. The government said pictures of the accused would be put up in public places, and those helping identify the suspects would be rewarded.