A local court has refused bail to Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, and five others accused in the Sep. 26 unrest related to the “I Love Muhammadﷺ” posters. The Additional District and Sessions Judge Amrita Shukla rejected their bail pleas during a hearing linked to the Baradari police station case in the Shyamganj area, Bareilly.
According to Additional District Government Counsel Mahesh Pathak, Raza allegedly urged community members to gather at Islamia Maidan despite prohibitory orders. When police intervened, clashes broke out, leading to stone-pelting and reports of a police rifle and wireless set being snatched.
Authorities have filed 10FIRs across several police stations, naming over 125 individuals and more than 2,500 unidentified persons. Raza, initially named in seven cases, was later added to three more during the investigation. The other accused include FaizanSakalani, Takim, Munir Idrishi from Bareilly, and Harman and Nematullah from Purnea, Bihar.
Raza has been in custody since Sep. 27 and is currently lodged in Fatehgarh Jail. The others are held in Bareilly Jail. Raza also faces charges from the 2019 anti-CAA and NRC protests.
Observers say the arrests reflect a pattern of criminalising Muslim expression. The “I Love Muhammad” slogan, a peaceful declaration of devotion, has been portrayed as a provocation, leading to police action in multiple locations.