A shocking revelation has come to light in the ongoing investigation into the recent violence in Sambhal, where police forensic officials have discovered bullets and cartridge cases linked to Pakistan. Among the recovered items, one misfired 9mm shell and another with “PAKISTAN ORDNANCE FACTORY” inscribed on it were found at the scene, according to police officials.
In addition to the foreign-made cartridges, two shells of 12-bore and two shells of 32-bore guns were also recovered. The discovery has raised serious concerns and added a new layer of complexity to the investigation. A search operation is still underway, with senior police officers actively involved in analyzing the situation.
The findings are likely to have a major impact on the investigation led by a three-member judicial panel set up by the Yogi Adityanath government. The panel, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Devendra Kumar Arora, is tasked with investigating four key points: whether the violence was spontaneous or planned, the circumstances leading to the clashes, the reasons behind the preparation for the incident, and how such violence could be prevented in the future.
The other members of the panel are retired IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain. The committee’s investigation now faces new scrutiny following the discovery of foreign ammunition linked to the violence.
The deadly clashes erupted last month in Sambhal during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey was triggered by a petition claiming that a Hindu temple exists beneath the mosque, similar to the case of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Locals, fearing that the mosque might be demolished as happened in Ayodhya, gathered to halt the survey, leading to violent confrontations that resulted in the deaths of four people and left several others injured.
As the investigation progresses, the revelation of foreign-made bullets has intensified suspicions of pre-planning behind the violence, and it will likely play a significant role in the judicial panel’s findings. The police continue their investigation into the origins of the ammunition and its potential connections to the violence.
Sources By Agencies
