01 July 2025 | New Delhi: The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), in collaboration with Karwan-e-Mohabbat, released its latest fact-finding report titled “Sambhal: Anatomy of an Engineered Crisis” along with the documentary “Sambhal Mosque Killings” by Karwan-e-Mohabbat.
The report and documentary were launched at a press conference held at the Press Club of India, New Delhi. The event included a summary presentation of the report, followed by panel discussions. Survivors and lawyers from Sambhal were also present to share their experiences and testimonies. Nadeem Khan, National Secretary of APCR remarked, “We are releasing this report six months after the violence to ask why two surveys were conducted without due process, why a slogan-chanting mob was allowed into the mosque premises, and why the community was never taken into confidence. Selective application of law has resulted in five deaths in Sambhal.”
The report traces how Sambhal, a town historically known for its Islamic heritage and as the prophesied birthplace of Kalki in Hindu belief, has been turned into a site of religious contestation. Following a civil court order mandating a sudden survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 19, 2024, tensions rose rapidly. A second survey conducted on November 24 under partisan circumstances, including a slogan-chanting mob and acts interpreted as desecration, triggered mass protests. Mr Shavez, manager of Azad Jannat Nisha school and resident of Sambhal recounted his personal experience, “Many people still haven’t received bail. Serious charges have been filed against innocent people from poor backgrounds, and things are only getting worse. Part of the Azad Jannat Nisha School, which I manage, was occupied without any notice. When I tried to defend myself, I was threatened, and even legitimate papers were rejected until I approached the High Court. People are facing immense trouble. Positive coverage from some journalists has helped, but the government keeps creating new issues.” Research and documentation coordinator, Prakriti highlighted her experience as a member of the factfinding team, “During fact-finding, we were forced to be silent witnesses under strict guard, constantly watched even while standing on the street. Police were already present at victims’ houses during our visits. What we saw was a social experiment of control using political and police power, demolitions without orders, and refusal to accept legitimate documents.”
Harsh Mander who conducted and filmed his factfinding which was screened at the press conference in the form of a documentary, noted that “Suddenly, we hear claims that Sambhal is the birthplace of Kalki. How far are we willing to go back in history to justify violence? If you dig mosques you find temples; if you dig temples you find stupas – how far will this go? Sambhal had no history of Hindu-Muslim conflict. There was no transparency or confidence-building, and firing should always be a last resort to disperse crowds. Instead, they are preparing to turn Sambhal into Ayodhya.”
Speaking on the legal challenges, Adv. Ahmad Ibrahim stated, “We filed a case asking whether protocol was followed by police on November 24 and why events unfolded as they did. We never found any bullets or guns from protesters. If the police fired, there should have been accountability and transparency. Till now, we haven’t received any report explaining who killed who and why. If law had been implemented objectively, this situation would never have arisen, and when such incidents do occur, there must be checks and balances.”
Navsharan Singh highlighted how “Reading the entire report was deeply disturbing. It shows us a mirror of where we stand. Minor girls were arrested without female police officers present. Three days later, five people were found murdered. Families were forced to sign blank papers before bodies were returned. Internet shutdowns ensured only the official narrative was heard. No outsiders were allowed in Sambhal. The population was effectively under collective custody, while everyday issues like electricity and property were weaponised to conduct punitive demolitions. This is violence, even in death, where law and order cease to exist.”
Adding to this, Saba Naqvi remarked, “From a media perspective, documenting this violence is crucial. Ultimately, the fight is about records and narratives. This is an important story that must be told, so tragedies are not erased. We must recognise the great work of documentation this report represents and read it.”
Many speakers emphasised that what unfolded in Sambhal is not an isolated incident, but part of a systematic effort to suppress minority rights and rewrite historical memory through force and fear.
Imran Masood concluded the event by saying, “People in Sambhal were terrified. Who fired the bullets? Laws are meant to be equal for everyone, but the atmosphere being created in our country today is not in line with democracy. Mainstream news won’t report this honestly, and even YouTube channels are restricted. They want to spend another 50 years creating hatred.”
Key findings of the report include:
- Police responded to protests with lathi charges, tear gas, and gunfire, resulting in the deaths of five Muslim men, including minors, injuring dozens, and arresting over 85 individuals.
- Eyewitness accounts and videos contradict official narratives of violent mobs, instead revealing excessive force, illegal home raids, destruction of property, and beatings.
- Postmortem reports were withheld, detainees were denied timely legal representation, and house-to-house raids targeted Muslim-majority areas in the following weeks.
- New religious tourism initiatives centering Sambhal as Kalki’s birthplace were launched alongside administrative harassment, public posters criminalizing protestors, and the inauguration of police outposts using stones from the protest site, symbolizing state complicity in myth-making and intimidation.
The report also noted that postmortem reports were withheld, detainees were denied timely legal representation, and in the weeks following, house-to-house raids targeted Muslim-majority areas.
The report concludes that the violence was preventable. Standard protocols of crowd control, peace committee engagement, and neutral administration were ignored, resulting in avoidable deaths and a continuing atmosphere of fear. Many see parallels to the events leading up to the Babri Masjid demolition. This report is part of APCR’s continued efforts to document and challenge communal violence, hate crimes, and state-enabled marginalisation of minorities in India. APCR is part of the larger ecosystem of various other civil society organizations, all of whom are together in their struggle to defend, document and stand with the victims and survivors of the rising communal and identity based hate in India.