Bulldozer action on the property of Dr Nafees following his arrest in connection with the 26 September protests and violence, in Bareilly on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Bareilly district administration on Saturday (October 4, 2025) executed a demolition operation targeting illegal constructions across various locations within the district. A banquet hall belonging to one of the individuals apprehended in relation to the September 26 violence in the city was among the buildings demolished.
The Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) demolished Raza Palace, owned by one Nafees in the Jakhira locality, under the supervision of a heavy police presence. Mr. Nafees, 65, and his son Farhan, 32, were arrested on October 1, with police accusing them of facilitating the assembly of the crowd at Islamia ground on the day of the clashes.
“Today on 04-10-2025, demolition/sealing action was taken against illegal constructions under the relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Town Planning and Development Act-1973,” said the BDA, in an statement.
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District police on Saturday carried out a flag march throughout the city and urged the community to uphold peace and order. “Under the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Bareilly police conducted a flag march on main roads and public places with a view to control crime, maintain peace and law and order and to instil a sense of security among the general public,” said the Bareilly police.
Bareilly has remained tense since the violence on September 26, after an Islamic cleric and chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, Tauqeer Raza Khan, announced a sit-in protest in response to alleged instances of derogatory remarks against the Prophet in different parts of the country, including Shahjahanpur. The protest was also in response to the controversy over “I Love Muhammad” posters during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur, when the poster resulted in Kanpur police registering cases against 24 people, amid objections from Right-wing Hindu groups over a “deviation from tradition”.
The police alleged that anti-social elements pelted stones and fired shots, leading to a minimum use of force by the administration. Over 80 people have been arrested in violence-related cases.
Published – October 04, 2025 10:00 pm IST
