The police have booked seven people in connection with the violence over a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, naming Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood's son Sohail Iqbal as accused, officials said on Monday. Four people have so far been reported killed in violent clashes that erupted on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar said seven FIRs have been lodged in connection with the violence. Six people, including Barq and Iqbal, were named and 2,750 others have been mentioned as unidentified, he said. "Due to Barq's statement earlier, the situation worsened. He was given a notice earlier for this," he added. The official said that Barq's "Jama Masjid ki hifazat" (protection of Jama Masjid) remark mobilised the mob.