The judicial commission probing the Sambhal violence has submitted its report, making sensational revelations about demographic decline of Hindus in the region and the spread of terror modules with international links.
According to the report, several youths from Sambhal were recruited into terror organisations in Pakistan and Afghanistan and later found a place in the top global terrorist lists maintained by the United States. Sources said the commission has made a detailed reference to the presence and expansion of such modules in the district.
The report also states that the idea of "Ghazwa-e-Hind" was being promoted in Sambhal, with Hindu families and their religious places targeted during communal riots. Instances of so-called “love jihad” were cited where Hindu girls were allegedly trapped and converted. The commission noted that during previous governments, some local political figures supported lawlessness and administrations failed to act, allowing minorities with extremist leanings to dominate. Hindus were reportedly harassed under this protection, and incidents such as the six-day forced shutdown of markets during anti-CAA protests highlighted the climate of intimidation.
Records of 15 major riots since Independence showed that radical Muslim groups were given open protection, the report says, while cases from the Hindu side were never filed. As a result, Hindu families were forced to migrate, leaving behind properties and religious sites that were later taken over by miscreants.
Terror network footprint
The report underlined that some youths from Sambhal were brainwashed and recruited into outfits such as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Hizbul Mujahideen and ISIS. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI was also reported to have set up a strong network in the region. The name of Maulana Asim Umar, a Sambhal native who rose to become an Al-Qaeda leader, featured in America’s list of top global terrorists. Others identified in the report include Ahmed Raza alias Shahrukh, Mohammad Asif, Maulana Aseem and Zafar Masood.
Case of alleged love jihad
The commission cited statements of witnesses, including a Hindu family that claimed to have lost their daughter to “love jihad” in 2013-14. The girl, who had completed her education in Yamunanagar and Ghaziabad, married a Muslim youth from Deepa Sarai, Sambhal. The family alleged that their daughter, who once followed Hindu rituals, changed after the marriage. Urdu books were reportedly recovered from her hostel room in Delhi.
The matter reached the Allahabad High Court, but the family lost the case after the daughter sided with her husband. Following the verdict, a lavish daawat-e-walima was hosted in Sambhal, which the family said was intended to humiliate them. The report records their statement that every time a Hindu girl married a Muslim youth in the district, large-scale celebrations were held that pressured Hindu families into migration.
The BJP welcomed the report, calling it “a vindication of long-standing concerns about Sambhal.” A party spokesperson said the findings exposed how previous governments allowed extremist groups to gain a foothold, and urged strict action against those named in the report.
The Samajwadi Party, however, dismissed the commission’s findings as “politically motivated.” SP leaders said the ruling BJP was attempting to “communalise” Sambhal’s situation for electoral gains, and demanded that the government focus on development and employment in the district.
The Congress took a cautious line, saying the report raised “serious issues that need impartial scrutiny.” Party representatives demanded that any follow-up action must be carried out within the constitutional framework and without targeting any community.
Political observers noted that with by-elections and the 2027 assembly polls in the backdrop, the findings are likely to sharpen political divides, with the ruling party projecting itself as tough on extremism and the opposition accusing it of exploiting communal fault lines.
