MEERUT, Jan. 30 -- The UP government has approached the Allahabad high court, seeking to set aside a judicial order directing the registration of an FIR against 22 police personnel, including the then circle officer (CO) Anuj Chaudhary and kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar, in connection with the Sambhal violence case. The move comes in response to an order issued by the chief judicial magistrate of Sambhal, who had directed registration of an FIR following a complaint alleging police firing during unrest linked to a survey at the Sambhal Jama Masjid. SP (Sambhal) KK Bishnoi confirmed that a revision petition has been filed on behalf of the state government in the high court, seeking quashing of the CJM's order. The matter is yet to come up for hearing. The case originated from an application filed before the CJM court by Yameen, a resident of Khaggu Sarai in Sambhal. Yameen alleged that on November 24, 2024, his son Alam had left home with a biscuit cart when a crowd gathered near the Sambhal Jama Masjid during an official survey. He claimed that the then CO Anuj Chaudhary, Kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar and other police personnel opened fire on the crowd, during which his son was allegedly hit by three bullets. Yameen stated that as his son was made an accused in the case, the family feared police action and got him secretly treated in Meerut. On January 9, the CJM ordered registration of an FIR against 22 police personnel, triggering widespread reaction within the police department. At the time, the SP had indicated that the order would be challenged before a higher court. On Wednesday, he reiterated that the government has formally moved the high court, seeking to nullify the lower court's directive. Apart from the government's petition, the officers named in the order have also independently approached the high court. Former CO Anuj Chaudhary, who has since been promoted to the rank of ASP and is currently posted in Firozabad, and former kotwali in-charge Anuj Tomar, now posted as kotwal in Chandausi, have filed petitions through private counsel, seeking to quash the FIR order. Of the 22 police personnel mentioned in the CJM's order, only the two senior officers are named, while the remaining personnel are unidentified. The case also attracted attention after the then CJM Vibhanshu Sudheer, who passed the order directing the FIR, was transferred to Sultanpur within days. The transfer sparked widespread discussion, with lawyers in several cities questioning the timing of the move and submitting memoranda to senior authorities raising concerns over judicial independence. SP KK Bishnoi said the allegations against the police are baseless. He asserted that the police did not open fire during the incident and claimed that the complainant's son is himself an accused in the violence case. According to the police, the judicial order directing the FIR does not reflect the factual circumstances of the incident, and this forms the basis of the government's challenge in the high court....