Bareilly violence: 2 ‘outsiders’ with criminal history nabbed after gunfight with cops

Bareilly: Two persons allegedly involved in the September 26 violence in Bareilly were arrested following an encounter in CB Ganj area on Wednesday, police said, as the crackdown continued on suspected rioters and its support providers.

Both the men sustained bullet injuries and are currently under treatment in police custody, a senior officer said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the district chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) Shamsad and one suspect identified as Tajeem were also held following separate encounters with the police, even as the total number of arrests went past 70.

IMC chief cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, some of his associates and at least one relative are also behind bars.

“Idrees and Iqbal, originally residents of neighbouring Shahjahanpur district, were actively involved in the violence that erupted in Kotwali area last week,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anurag Arya said on Wednesday.

“They were apprehended after a brief exchange of fire with the police. Both received bullet injuries during the encounter and were taken to the hospital for treatment. They are now in custody,” he said.

According to the SSP, Idrees has 20 criminal cases registered against him, including those related to theft, dacoity, the Gangsters Act, and the Arms Act. Iqbal faces approximately 17 cases on similar charges.

Arya said a government-issued anti-riot gun, which had been snatched from police personnel during the violence, has been recovered from them. In addition, two illegal country-made pistols of .315 bore, spent cartridges, and live ammunition were also recovered from the scene.

He further said both of them were in contact with Nadeem Khan, a known associate of IMC chief cleric Khan, who is already in jail.

“Nadeem had called them to Bareilly on the day of the incident. Both Idrees and Iqbal have a criminal background. Our preliminary investigation had indicated the involvement of external and criminal elements in the September 26 incident, which has now been confirmed,” Arya said.

He claimed that the violence appeared to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt law and order during a sensitive religious gathering.

“Our assessment and evidence indicate that these outsiders were mobilised to disturb the peace during the event,” Arya noted.