Interim Relief granted as Allahabad High Court stays FIR against former Sambhal CO Anuj Kumar Chaudhary in police firing case linked to 2024 mosque violence.
Interim Relief : High Court halts criminal proceedings against Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, lists case for further hearing on February 24
Qalam Times News Network
Prayagraj | February 10, 2026
Interim Relief has been granted by the Allahabad High Court to former Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, currently posted as Additional Superintendent of Police in Firozabad, along with several other police personnel, after the court stayed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against them.
The order was passed by Justice Samit Gopal on February 10, 2026, while hearing Chaudhary’s petition challenging a directive issued on January 9 by Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vibhanshu Sudheer. The magistrate had ordered the registration of an FIR under Section 173(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which corresponds to provisions under the former Code of Criminal Procedure.
The FIR directive stemmed from a complaint filed by Muhammad Yameen, who alleged that his 24-year-old son, Mohammad Alam, suffered serious injuries due to police firing on November 24, 2024, near Jama Masjid in Mohalla Kot, Sambhal. According to the complaint, Alam—who earned a living by selling rusks and biscuits from a roadside cart—was hit by three bullets, two in his back and one in his hand, and later underwent multiple surgeries.
In the complaint, Yameen named then Kotwali in-charge Anuj Kumar Tomar, Circle Officer Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, and between 10 and 22 unidentified police personnel. He alleged that the firing was deliberate and carried out with intent to kill during violence that erupted following a mosque survey in the area.
In an 11-page order issued earlier, CJM Sudheer had held that police officials could not claim protection under the cover of “official duty” when allegations involved criminal acts such as firing on civilians. Citing established Supreme Court rulings, the magistrate observed that a prima facie cognizable offence was made out and that a full investigation was essential to ascertain the truth behind the incident.
However, after hearing detailed submissions from Chaudhary’s legal counsel, the Allahabad High Court stayed the operation of the magistrate’s order, effectively putting the FIR on hold. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on February 24, 2026.
The case has also drawn attention due to the administrative developments that followed the CJM’s order. On January 21, 2026—less than two weeks after directing the FIR—CJM Vibhanshu Sudheer was transferred to Sultanpur as Civil Judge (Senior Division). The transfer triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties, who described it as an assault on judicial independence.
The situation grew more contentious when Sudheer’s initial replacement, Aditya Singh, was reverted within 48 hours amid public criticism. Eventually, Deepak Kumar Jaiswal, formerly Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kaushambi, was appointed to take charge in Sambhal.
Separately, police authorities have booked Mohammad Alam for alleged involvement in the November 2024 riots. His father has strongly disputed these allegations and has sought time from the court to file a detailed response challenging the charges.
