In the wake of the recent violence in Bareilly, SSP Anurag Arya held a press briefing addressing the detention of Tauqeer Raza Khan, chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council. Arya stated, “We will ensure that everyone involved in the incidents documented across the 10 FIRs is identified. Our investigation will rely on CCTV footage, manual intelligence, and technical intelligence. Strict action will be taken against anyone found to have directly or indirectly participated in the violence, in line with the Chief Minister and administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward crime. Notably, Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s name appears in seven of these FIRs.”
Speaking about the scale of the unrest, SSP Arya revealed that 22 police personnel were injured during Friday’s clashes, some sustaining injuries that may have been caused by firearms. “Final medical tests are underway to confirm the nature of these injuries,” he added. Arya also confirmed that protesters had fired weapons during the incident, which involved an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 unidentified individuals, all of whom police are now working to trace.
Addressing claims surrounding Tauqeer Raza’s involvement, Arya emphasized, “In seven FIRs, his name has come up, and this will form a key part of our investigation. The police had been assured that after Friday prayers, no one would proceed to the Islamia Inter College. However, those assurances were contradicted later. While some claimed the signatures on documents were forged, investigations show they indeed belong to the three individuals responsible for signing them.”
The police continue to pursue leads rigorously, signaling a determined approach to restoring order and holding those accountable for the unrest.