HC grants bail to accused in Bareilly violence case

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to one Nazim Raja Khan, an accused in the Sept 2025 Bareilly violence case wherein a mob attacked a police team with bricks, stones and acid bottles.The order was passed by Justice Vivek Verma on Feb 2. During the court proceedings, the counsel for the applicant submited that the applicant was not named in the FIR and was falsely implicated in the present case. "As per the FIR, 28 named and 200-250 unknown people are mentioned in the report. The name of the applicant surfaced during the course of investigation. A vague and general role was assigned to the applicant. There is no credible evidence to link the applicant with the offence," the counsel submitted. It was further contended that identically placed co-accused Mustakeem alias Mohd Mustakeem has already been granted bail by this court vide order dated Jan 24. As per the prosecution case, on Sept 26, Maulana Taukir Raza, who is the president of an organisation named Ittefaq Minnat Council, had given a call for members of a particular community to assemble at Islamiya Inter College in Bareilly. Despite prohibitory orders under section 163 BNSS being in force, a crowd of about 200-250 people gathered and proceeded from Maulana Azad Inter College towards Shyamganj Chauraha. The crowd, holding boards and raising provocative slogans, paid little heed to the warning and persuasions made by the police personnel at the spot. The situation escalated when the accused persons became aggressive. Thereafter, allegedly bricks, stones and acid bottles were hurled at the police force and gun shots were fired too. Maulana Taukir Raza and six others were booked in a case registered under sections 109 (attempt to murder), 118(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), and other related sections of BNS, Criminal Law Amendment Act and provisions of the Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act. However, Maulana Raza has also secured bail in the case.