Authorities in Bareilly have identified eight allegedly illegal properties linked to associates of Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan for action, officials said on Tuesday.
Teams from the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) and the district administration conducted a joint drive in Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and the old city areas. The structures are alleged to have been built without approved plans, with some encroaching on government and ceiling land.
Police claimed that Faiq Enclave has become a hideout for criminals over the years. Earlier, a property linked to Saddam, the brother-in-law of gangster Atiq Ahmad, was sealed in the city. Now, connections of Tauqeer Raza Khan’s aides Farhat and coloniser Mohammad Arif with similar activities have come to light.
A BDA official said Arif and his associates had encroached upon government land, roads, and ceiling areas. Hotels and lawns linked to Arif, including Skylark, Fahm Lawn, and Flora Garden, were sealed on Sunday for alleged illegal construction.
“Illegal constructions on government and ceiling land will not be spared. Strict action will be taken as per rules,” BDA Vice-Chairman Dr Manikandan A said.
Meanwhile, the Bareilly Municipal Corporation marked several shops, including those built atop Pahalwan Sahab Dargah, for demolition over illegal construction. The administration is also preparing an FIR against Arif for road and land encroachment.
The district administration has intensified surveillance on Tauqeer Raza Khan’s network of associates and financiers, who are suspected of funding and strategising unlawful activities under the cover of community programmes.
Also Read : Bareilly violence: Tauqeer Khan's aide detained by police
A final decision on the demolition is expected later on Tuesday. The operation will be overseen by the District Magistrate, SSP Anurag Arya, the BDA vice-chairman, and the municipal commissioner.
The action follows violent clashes in Bareilly on September 26, when a crowd of more than 2,000 people gathered outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers, resulting in stone-pelting and injuries to police personnel.
The unrest was triggered by the cancellation of a proposed protest over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster row called by cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan.
Police have registered 10 FIRs against 180 named and 2,500 unnamed individuals, arresting Khan, his aides, and more than 60 others.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has warned of strict action against rioters, while internet services remain suspended in the district to prevent the spread of inflammatory content.
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