Neja Mela committee officials bound with ₹5 lakh sureties; vigil upped in Sambhal

MEERUT Office-bearers of the Neja Mela Management Committee have been bounded by the Sambhal police with a surety bond of ₹5 lakh each and advised not to organise any event to commemorate Syed Salar Masood Ghazi, nephew of foreign invader Mahmud Ghaznavi, citing historical concerns and public objections.

“If the Neja Mela Committee attempts to disturb peace, in violation of notices issued, the bond amount will be recovered from them. No permission has been granted for any fair. As a precautionary measure, police surveillance has been intensified in the city. Strict action will be taken against anyone trying to disrupt public order,” said ASP (Sambhal) Shrish Chandra.

The officer confirmed that five office-bearers, including committee president Shahid Hussain Masoodi, have been bound with sureties of ₹5 lakh each.

The Mela, traditionally held on the second Tuesday after Holi, is preceded by the symbolic pitching of a 30-ft pole with a green flag on top in the Mela ground on the first Tuesday.

Prior to the fair, a barricade was traditionally placed near Ghantaghar, in front of the Kotwali police station. But this year, the police denied permission for its installation.

The spot where the barricade was typically erected has now been permanently sealed with cement.

Permission has also been denied for the Mela events scheduled on March 25 in Shahbazpur Sura Nagla village, on March 26 in the municipal premises, and on March 27 at Badal Gumbad.

Supporters of the event argued that the Mela is a long-standing tradition that contributes to the local economy and cultural heritage.

Recently while addressing a meeting with the Neja Mela Committee members, the ASP remarked: “Syed Salar Masood Ghazi was a murderer and a looter. He was the nephew of Mahmud Ghaznavi and looted Somnath Temple. He also committed multiple murders and acts of loot. We will not let the fair, to commemorate an enemy of the nation, to take place.” Later, the district administration officially denied permission for the fair.

The denial of permission for Neja Mela has had financial repercussions. The municipal corporation earlier earned significant revenue by awarding contracts for the fair, informed a Mela committee member.

Last year, the municipality had awarded a contract worth ₹15.10 lakh for organizing the mela, while this year, it had been finalized at ₹15.20 lakh. The fair was a source of income, as the municipality managed various arrangements, including amusement rides and toy stalls.

“In 2024, the contract was given for ₹15.10 lakh. This year, it was increased to ₹15.20 lakh, and the process was underway. However, with police denying permission for the fair, the contract has now been cancelled,” said Chaudhary Musheer, husband of municipal chairperson Ayesha Chaudhary Musheer.

Meanwhile, the village head of Shahbajpur Sura Nagla, Margub Fatima, sought permission from sub-divisional magistrate Vandana Mishra to organise a ‘Sadbhavana Mela’ on March 25 and 26. According to the SDM, the request has been forwarded to the police department for assessment.

Sambhal district has been simmering with communal tension since the November 24 violence that erupted during a court-ordered survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area of the city. The violence had left four civilians dead and others, including security personnel, injured. The local court was hearing a petition, which claimed the mosque stood at the site of a demolished temple.