Bareilly: A man already in jail in connection with the September 26 Bareilly violence and his wife have been booked for allegedly forging documents to transfer ownership of a Waqf property to their sons, police said on Saturday.
Dr Nafees, general secretary and spokesperson of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) and considered to be a close aide of its chief, Tauqeer Raza Khan, is currently in jail in connection with the clashes between protesters and police that erupted after Friday prayers in Bareilly. Authorities are conducting raids to arrest his wife, Farhat Begum, in connection with the alleged fraudulent transfer of the Waqf property.
The FIR was filed based on a complaint by Mohammad Qamar Akhtar, a resident of Pirbahoda, who claimed the property was originally owned by his grandfather, who had donated the land to a Waqf. Under the law, Waqf properties cannot be sold or transferred to private individuals.
Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parik confirmed that a case has been registered against Nafees and Farhat at Kotwali police station. SHO Amit Kumar Pandey added, “The case involves a forged gift deed of Waqf property. Dr Nafees is in jail, and we are searching for his wife.”
This development comes days after authorities demolished a banquet hall owned by Nafees, saying it was constructed in violation of norms. The demolition followed the September 26 clashes, which broke out after a dispute over ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters outside a mosque. Police said the unrest was allegedly sparked by a call from IMC chief Tauqeer Raza Khan after police denied permission for a demonstration. Protesters reportedly pelted stones, prompting police to resort to a lathicharge to control the crowd.
More than 90 people, including several IMC members, have been arrested in connection with the case, many accused of conspiring to incite the riots under the guise of protests.
With PTI inputs