Security has been heightened in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal ahead of Friday prayers in the town hit by violence last week. The unrest took place over a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid that left four people dead and several others injured.

Tensions in Sambhal have been simmering since the local court ordered a survey of the mosque on November 19. Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Sambhal, after Friday prayers on9. Security surveillance of the area is being done by drone cameras deployed by Police.

A court in Sambhal on Friday, 29 November, directed the court-appointed commissioner to submit within 10 days the survey report on the Jama Masjid mosque following claims that a temple stood on the spot, and fixed 8 January as the next date of hearing.

Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid has been fortified by security forces ahead of Friday Namaz. Security forces have geared up to prevent any possible mishap in the region after the violence on 24 November.

On November 19, a civil court in Sambhal had directed an advocate commissioner to conduct a survey of the mosque following a plea by Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and seven others.

Security has increased around Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, before Friday prayers due to recent tensions. The RAF and drones are deployed to maintain order after violence during ASI's examination of the mosque.

The petition contends that the survey at Sambhal's Jama Masjid, ordered by a civil judge, was conducted hastily and could lead to communal tensions, jeopardizing the secular fabric of the country.