On 21 January 2026, the Allahabad High Court transferred Sambhal Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vibhanshu Sudheer to Sultanpur as Civil Judge (Senior Division). This transfer occurred days after Sudheer directed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against several police officials, including former Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary, in connection with the November 2024 Sambhal violence. Fourteen judicial officers were transferred in total, and Sudheer was replaced in Sambhal by Aditya Singh.
According to Live Law, CJM Sudheer’s order for an FIR stemmed from an application by Yameen, the father of a youth named Alam who was grievously injured during the violence. The application alleged that on 24 November 2024, Alam was selling food items near Jama Masjid in Sambhal when police officials, including Anuj Chaudhary and Anuj Kumar Tomar, opened fire with intent to kill, resulting in Alam sustaining gunshot wounds.
As reported by Scroll, Sudheer’s order noted that the identity of the shooter required investigation, but the medical evidence and police reports confirmed that Alam was hit by gunfire. The judge observed that in cases of attempted murder, it is unlikely that a victim would falsely accuse someone else, and emphasised the seriousness of the allegations.
The court’s order also addressed the police’s defence that the firing was part of their official duty. Analysis showed that the CJM rejected this argument, citing Supreme Court rulings that criminal acts cannot be shielded by claims of official duty. The police report was found to be inconsistent with medical findings, which explicitly referenced a gunshot wound and police firing during a riot.
“In such a situation, it is clear that if a heinous crime such as attempted murder is committed against someone, the victim will accuse the person who attempted to commit the crime,” the court remarked.
The transfer of Sudheer came shortly after his order, and the Sambhal Police indicated they would challenge the FIR directive in the High Court. Coverage revealed that the violence in Sambhal, which left five dead, was linked to unrest following a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town.
Sudheer’s 11-page order concluded that a prima facie cognisable offence was disclosed and that a proper investigation was necessary to uncover the truth. The court stated that the police’s preliminary defence was “suspicious” and contradicted by the available medical evidence. The transfer of the judge has drawn attention to the administrative processes following judicial actions against law enforcement officials as details emerged.
“The police cannot invoke the ‘official duty’ shield for criminal acts. Firing upon a person cannot be considered a discharge of official duties,” the court observed.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.