Sambhal violence: Man held for spreading rumours amid stone-pelting incident

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The Uttar Pradesh police arrested a man for allegedly spreading rumours amid the stone-pelting incident that took place on November 24 in Sambhal, reported news agency ANI.

According to the police, the arrested person was identified as Farhat.

He has been booked under Sections 170, 126, and 135 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), they said.

Earlier, senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain alleged that he has been receiving threats since the Sambhal violence due to the "misinformation" spread about his involvement in the incident, reported ANI.

Jain slammed Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, SP MP from Sambhal, Zia Ur Rahman Barq, SP media cell, and the secretary of the Gyanvyapi Mosque committee, accusing them of spreading 'misinformation' that he was responsible for inciting the Sambhal violence, reported ANI.

The advocate clarified that he didn't raise any slogans at the site and was escorted by police after the survey concluded.

"Akhilesh Yadav, Owaisi, Samajwadi Party's MP of Sambhal, media cell of SP, secretary of Gyanvyapi Mosque committee--all these people have spread misinformation that I went there with a mob raising the slogan of Jai Shree Ram and that caused the riots there. It's a false allegation... I went there with the administration and all the concerned officials and people," Jain told ANI.

In another development related to the Sambhal violence, Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh confirmed on Wednesday the involvement of three minors in the incident, which arose over a survey of a Mughal-era mosque, reported ANI.

Security personnel were deployed in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal for the third consecutive day on Wednesday after the violence and unrest over the ASI survey.

So far, 27 individuals, including 25 men and two women, have been arrested, and seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence, according to police.

The stone-pelting incident occurred on November 24 during the ASI's examination of the Mughal-era mosque, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including officials and locals.

(With inputs from ANI)