Summoning of Tauqeer Raza: Court Identifies Him as 'Mastermind' of 2010 Communal Riots

A summons has been issued by a court in Bareilly, calling upon Maulana Tauqeer Raza, the chairman of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), in relation to the communal unrest that occurred in the Qutub Khana area back in March 2010. The court, labeling him as the "mastermind" behind the violence, emphasized that despite substantial evidence, key officials such as the divisional commissioner, district magistrate, deputy inspector general of police, inspector general of police, senior superintendent of police, and others failed to include Tauqeer Raza's name in the charge sheet of the case.

This omission was perceived as tacit support for Tauqeer Raza, according to Additional Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who stated that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should also be notified for necessary action. Tauqeer Raza, known for his influence among Barelvi Muslims, has frequently found himself embroiled in controversies due to his provocative statements, with the most recent incident involving him being booked by the UP police for alleged incendiary remarks.

In connection to the riot case, Inspector Subhash Yadav recorded his statement during Tuesday's hearing. While the court accepted the appearance waiver for several other riot accused, including Rizwan, Danish, Raju, Hasan, Soubi Raza, and Yasin, non-bailable warrants were issued against individuals such as Babu Khan, Arif, Amjad Ahmed, Nisar Ahmed, Abrar, Raju alias Rajkumar, and Kausar due to their repeated absence from previous court dates. The Premnagar police were instructed to arrest and produce them.

Providing a summary of the case, Patel elucidated that on March 2, 2010, both a Holi procession and a Barawafat procession were scheduled to take place. While both processions initially transpired peacefully, allegations surfaced that Tauqeer Raza, hailing from Saudagaran and associated with the Aala Hazrat family, delivered an inflammatory speech to a group of individuals, inciting riots that spread from Qutub Khana to Kuhada Peer Bazaar. During the unrest, the mob vandalized the police post and set fire to houses belonging to members of the majority community, prompting the imposition of a 27-day curfew in the city.