Another well restored in Sambhal, 20th since Nov 24 violence

Bareilly: A well, believed to be around 100 years old, was made "encroachment-free" and restored at Saderanpur village of Sambhal tehsil by the district administration following multiple requests by local residents. Earlier, more than 68 mythological sites and 19 ancient wells were revived since the Nov 24 violence.SDM Vikas Chandra said, "The decades-old well had been encroached and the existence of it had almost vanished. Now, the well has been revived."Local residents claimed that they had submitted several petitions to tehsil and district administrations, urging them to act soon and restore the well. SDM Vikas Chandra then inspected the site and, on Thursday, launched a clean-up operation. Chandra said, "The well will be made available for public use in future."During his first visit to Sambhal in August, after the Nov 24 violence, CM Yogi Adityanath announced the revival of pilgrimage sites and sacred wells that were "desecrated", calling it a step to restore Sambhal's religious identity. He had said, "Sambhal is a sacred symbol of Hindu tradition, as the city is believed to be the birthplace of the prophesied lord Kalki, the 10th and final incarnation of Lord Vishnu."Notably, on Nov 24, 2024, violence erupted during a court-ordered survey of Shahi Jama Masjid. Protesters opposing the survey clashed with security personnel, resulting in the deaths of four people. They torched vehicles and pelted stones at police, while the security personnel used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob. Several people were injured, including 19 police personnel. Another man died some days later. The SIT filed a 4,000-page chargesheet in six of the 12 cases related to the violence.