The file on the riots that occurred 46 years ago in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh is set to be reopened. This decision was made after a statement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the state assembly. The violence took place on 29th March 1978, in Sambhal and lasted for several days. The situation was so severe that a curfew was imposed in the city for two months. A total of 184 people lost their lives and 169 cases were registered.
On 8th January, Moradabad Commissioner Anjaneya Singh asked Sambhal District Magistrate Dr Rajendra Pensia to hand over all records related to the unrest. According to the media reports, several old cases might be revisited based on complaints from some individuals. Commissioner Anjaneya Singh has also called a meeting regarding the matter. This development indicates that an in-depth investigation and review of the cases related could take place. The investigation report will be submitted in a week.
On 7th January, Sambhal SP (Superintendent of Police) KK Bishnoi wrote a letter to DM Pensia, informing him that Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member Shrichandra Sharma had demanded a fresh investigation into the 1978 Sambhal riots. The former mentioned receiving a letter from the Deputy Secretary of the Home Affairs and the Superintendent of Police (Human Rights) of Uttar Pradesh in this regard. He added that Sambhal SP Shrish Chandra will oversee the police’s probe in the matter.
The Deputy Secretary of Home Affairs, Satendra Pratap Singh, instructed that action be started within one week in response to the notice issued under Rule 115 by Suresh Chandra Sharma. The SP requested the DM to designate an officer from the administration for a joint administrative inquiry which will enable them to conduct a collaborative probe and submit a comprehensive report. Notably, the official death toll in the 1978 Sambhal riots was reported as 24. However, local residents revealed that the actual number of fatalities was significantly higher than the official figure.
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