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Sambhal CJM changed again, Civil Judge who had ordered mosque survey sent back
Aditya Singh had been brought in as CJM only on January 20.
Allahabad HC orders six-month review of assistant teacher appointments, action against forged documents. (File)
In three days, there has been a second change of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sambhal. On Thursday night, Aditya Singh who had been brought in to replace CJM Vibhanshu Sudheer – who had ordered lodging of an FIR against policemen in the Sambhal November 2024 violence – was transferred back to his original post.
Singh will continue as Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sambhal, the post he held when he had ordered a survey of the Sambhal Jama Masjid, that led to the November 2024 violence.
The transfer by the Allahabad High Court of Sudheer from the CJM, Sambhal, post to Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sultanpur, had seen protests by lawyers at the district court. Lawyers had also protested against the replacement of Sudheer as CJM with Singh.
The new CJM, Sambhal, is the current CJM of Kaushambi district, Deepak Kumar Jaiswal.
On January 9, Sudheer had ordered lodging of an FIR against then Circle Officer (CO) of Sambhal City Anuj Chaudhary and other policemen over the injury to a local youth, Alam, in shooting during the November 24 violence. Police maintain that Alam was not injured by their bullet.
The violence had followed an order by Aditya Singh on November 19 clearing a survey of the Sambhal mosque, on a petition claiming that a temple had been demolished to build the mosque in 1526. The Sambhal Jama Masjid is considered the only known Babar-era mosque surviving in Uttar Pradesh after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
The mosque committee contested the survey, arguing that the order was passed in haste on November 19, without giving them an opportunity to be heard, with the first round of the survey held the very same day.
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The order sending Aditya Singh back to his original posting was part of a notification issued by the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court Thursday night regarding postings and transfers of 344 judicial officers.
Some other officers besides Singh were also retransferred within three days of the January 20 shuffle.
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