NEW DELHI: The Allahabad high court on Friday stayed the arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq in relation to the violence that occurred in Sambhal, UP, during a survey of a Mughal-era mosque. The court, however, refused to quash the FIR registered against him for allegedly provoking violence during the survey at Shahi Jama Masjid.
The order was issued by a bench of Justices Rajiv Gupta and Azahar Husain Idrisi, following a petition filed by Barq.
After hearing arguments from his counsel, Imran Ullah, and the additional government advocate, the court ruled that the investigation against Barq would proceed, while instructing the MP to cooperate with the authorities.
Barq was named in an FIR filed following the November 24 clashes in Sambhal city, which erupted after a court-ordered survey of the 500-year-old Jama Masjid.
The violence resulted in four deaths and numerous injuries, with one more person dying later. Several individuals have been arrested by the police in connection with the unrest.
