Bareilly,

01 Oct (HS): Two people allegedly involved in the September 26 violence in

Bareilly were apprehended on Wednesday after a confrontation in the CB Ganj

area, according to police. Both males were shot and are currently being treated

in police custody, according to a senior officer. Senior SSP Anurag Arya

claimed that Idrees and Iqbal, who were hailed from the nearby Shahjahanpur

district, were actively involved in the violence that erupted in the Kotwali

region last week. They were arrested following a brief exchange of gunfire with

police. Both were shot during the

confrontation and sent to the hospital for treatment. They are currently in jail, he stated. According

to SSP, Idrees has 20 criminal complaints filed against him, including theft,

dacoity, the Gangsters Act, and the Arms Act.

Iqbal is facing around 17 instances with identical charges.

Arya

stated that a government-issued anti-riot gun taken from police during the

unrest has been retrieved. In addition,

two illegal country-made pistols with.315 bore, spent cartridges, and live

ammunition were found at the scene. He further stated that both of them were in

contact with Nadeem Khan, a known associate of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC)

chairman cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, who is already in jail. Nadeem had

summoned them to Bareilly on the day of the event. Both Idrees and Iqbal have criminal

records. Our preliminary inquiry had

pointed to the involvement of external and criminal elements in the September

26 incident, which has now been proven, Arya stated.

He

also stated that the violence appeared to be an intentional attempt to disturb

law and order during a sensitive religious gathering. According to Arya, our

evaluation and facts show that these strangers were mobilised to disrupt the

calm during the event. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is undertaking a

scientific and thorough investigation into the occurrence.

The

SSP further appealed to the people, emphasizing that no innocent person would

be harassed or exposed to undue pressure.

If someone has any issues or complaints, they should immediately contact

the police or local authorities. At the

same time, no guilty person will be spared, regardless of status. On Tuesday,

police apprehended another person in connection with the violence during a

separate interaction.

Over

70 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence that

erupted in Bareilly on September 26. Among them is preacher Tauqeer Raza Khan. The

action follows violent riots in Bareilly on September 26, when over 2,000

people gathered outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers,

resulting in stone-throwing and injuries to police. The turmoil began after

Khan cancelled a planned rally over the 'I Love Muhammad' poster row. The

police have so far filed ten FIRs against 180 named and 2,500 nameless individuals,

arresting Khan, his aides, and dozens more. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has

also warned that rioters will face harsh punishment.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi