Meerut, April 3 -- The legal woes of Zafar Ali, the president of Sambhal's Jama Masjid Management Committee, deepened this week as his bail hearing was postponed yet again. Also, his relatives were placed under strict administrative restrictions.

The developments fuelled outrage among Sambhal's legal community, sparking protests and a pen-down strike that has paralysed court proceedings.

A scheduled hearing on Ali's bail plea on Wednesday was deferred after Sambhal police failed to produce critical evidence in court. This marked the second delay in the case, with a prior postponement on March 27 due to the same issue. The court granted police an additional two days, pushing the next hearing to April 4.

Ali, arrested on March 23 in conn...