Bareilly Violence: IMC Leader Nadeem and 34 Others Arrested, Banquet Halls and Hotel Sealed

In a decisive move following the recent violence in Bareilly, police have arrested IMC leader Nadeem along with 22 other accused individuals. This brings the total number of arrests to 34. Alongside these arrests, authorities have sealed a hotel and two banquet halls linked to the unrest, which was triggered during a demonstration supporting ‘I Love Mohammad’. Nadeem was apprehended from the Katra area of Shahjahanpur district. Of the arrested, 16 individuals face charges related to instigating violence, while six others are accused of creating chaos after the arrest of Maulana Tauqeer Raza. City SP Manush Pareek reported that among the detainees, 13 are from Kotwali and 2 from Baradari police station jurisdictions. Following Maulana Tauqeer’s arrest, a new case was registered at Premnagar police station for inciting mobs near Bhud cemetery and attacking police personnel, leading to the arrest of six more accused. All arrested individuals have been presented before a judicial magistrate and sent to jail. Maulana Tauqeer Raza, along with a total of 34 accused, remains in custody, while interrogation of 26 suspects continues. The police stated that about 22 officers were injured during the violence. FIRs have been registered across multiple police stations, naming 125 individuals, while around 3,000 unidentified persons have been booked as accused. When presented before the media, many of the accused apologized, claiming they were misled and vowed not to engage in such acts again. Most of those arrested are young. Among the accused is Moin, also known as Chotikatuwa, a resident of Chak Mahmood, who has multiple previous cases and has previously attempted to disrupt peace. Baradari police arrested him and another accused, Faizul, for allegedly attacking police with acid at Shyamganj Chowk. Both reportedly hurled acid bottles and chanted inflammatory slogans against law enforcement. Additionally, several other youths from Malukpur in the Kila police jurisdiction and elsewhere have been arrested on charges of assaulting police teams. After Maulana Tauqeer’s arrest, more individuals from Premnagar police area were detained for inciting violence. Despite administrative prohibitions, it was revealed that 77 individuals, including five councilors from seven police jurisdictions, played a role in directing the crowd towards Khalil School intersection. One councilor has already been arrested, while investigations against the others are ongoing. The Bareilly Development Authority’s enforcement team sealed Fahm Lawn, Flora Garden Banquet Hall, and Hotel Sky Lark located on Pilibhit Bypass Road. The banquet halls are registered in the name of Mohammad Arif, while the hotel is under his wife Asifa Jamal’s name. BDA Vice-Chairman Manikandan A stated that Arif’s Jalsa Green Banquet Hall was already sealed, and all four properties had unauthorized constructions beyond approved plans. These actions are part of a larger effort to restore law and order in Bareilly and curb the sources of unrest. Police investigations and searches for additional suspects are ongoing.