Sambhal violence: Dubai-based gangster’s name to be included as key conspirator
Police plan to name Shariq Satha, a Dubai-based gangster, as a key conspirator in the Sambhal violence linked to the Shahi Jama Masjid survey.
The name of Shariq Satha, a Dubai-based absconding gangster from Sambhal, is likely to be included as one of the key conspirators by police in the cases related to last November’s violence in Sambhal district during the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid in which four people had died, confirmed senior police officials privy to the ongoing probe.
They said the Sambhal Police even questioned Satha’s wife about his whereabouts earlier this week. As per the police, Satha is a local criminal from Deepa Sarai area of Sambhal and said to be operating a wide nexus of network dealing in weapons as well as supplying stolen four-wheelers from Delhi and nearby regions to northeastern states.
He fled to Dubai in 2020 from where he operates his gang. Satha is also reportedly associated with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, the police claims.
A senior police official said Satha’s involvement in the Sambhal violence was suspected after the police recovered shells of foreign make bullets from the two spots where four people were allegedly shot dead when the violence broke out during the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24, 2024.
Later, two of Satha’s close aides Mullah Afroz and Mohd Waris were arrested on January 18 and January 24 respectively in connection with the murders of four people, he added.
Sambhal assistant superintendent of police Shrish Chandra, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate all 12 cases related to the violence and deaths caused during it, said Mullah Afroz was arrested in the case related to the deaths of Ayaan and Bilal while Waris was arrested for the killings of Mohammed Kaif and Naeem.
He said the involvement of Shariq Satha was also being investigated and his wife and other family members were being interrogated in the matter.
“Shariq Satha’s involvement surfaced in the violence based on revelations made by Mullah Afroz and Waris, who were assigned the task to incite violence. They killed four people to escalate the violence,” said another police official privy to the development.
“The SIT will include the name of Shariq Satha as one of the key conspirators of Sambhal violence,” the cop added. He said the chargesheet was likely to be filed in the cases related to the November violence and deaths in the upcoming week.
Sambhal hogged the limelight after the court of civil judge (senior division) there on November 19 last year ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following a petition by Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain.
The court also appointed Ramesh Raghav as the advocate commissioner to carry out the survey. The advocate commissioner carried out an initial survey of the mosque on November 19 evening in the presence of district magistrate Rajender Pensiya and superintendent of police KK Bishnoi. A second round of the survey began on November 24, sparking violence that claimed four lives.