Bareilly: The Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) on Monday sealed five more properties, a day after it demolished a banquet hall in the city’s Jakhira area amid heavy police presence, as part of its ongoing crackdown following the “I Love Mohammad” poster controversy.
The demolished property, Raza Palace, belonged to Dr Nafees (65), who, along with his son Farhan (32), was arrested last Wednesday in connection with the September 26 clashes that erupted in Bareilly. Both are known associates of cleric Tauqeer Raza, who was earlier arrested in the same case.
According to officials, the sealing drive was carried out under the Uttar Pradesh Town Planning and Development Act, 1973, in the presence of junior and assistant engineers and the BDA’s enforcement team.
The five sealed properties were identified as those belonging to SP councillor Abdul Qayyum Khan Munna, Wajid Beg, Nazir Khan, Zakir Pradhan, and Mohammad Irfan. The BDA said the constructions were built without mandatory map approval from the authority.
“This sealing is part of an ongoing routine and has nothing to do with the September 26 clashes,” BDA Secretary Vandita Shrivastav told The Indian Express.
However, some owners contested this claim. Abdul Qayyum, whose electric scooter showroom was sealed, said he received no prior notice. “I had no idea. There was no notice to me through officials or the local media. I was sitting in my shop when senior police officials arrived and informed me about the sealing. I kept asking them for an explanation. Later, I left with all the money,” he said. Qayyum added that he had been running the showroom for four years and denied any political affiliation with Tauqeer Raza.
Alongside Qayyum’s establishment, the BDA sealed a marriage hall owned by Wajid Beg, a garage owned by Nazir Khan, a tin-shed gym operated by Zakir Pradhan, and a workshop run by Mohammad Irfan.
The BDA later issued a public advisory, reminding citizens that obtaining map approval from the authority is mandatory before carrying out any construction or plotting activity. “Construction without approval is completely illegal and may be demolished by the Authority,” the advisory stated.
Meanwhile, the sealing came a day after the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) served electricity-theft recovery notices worth over Rs 1 crore to five individuals — Wasim Khan, Monish Khan, Barkan Raza Khan, Oman Raza Khan, and Ghulam Navi — for allegedly drawing power by tapping lines and bypassing meters.
The UPPCL said the offence falls under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which treats direct power theft as a non-bailable offence punishable with up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh or double the financial loss.
Chief Engineer (Distribution), Bareilly Zone One, Gyan Prakash, described the enforcement as part of a regular operation. “We are taking action against anyone found guilty of electricity theft. They will face strict action without exception,” he told The Indian Express.
Officials confirmed that an FIR has been filed and assessments of dues have been completed — Rs 15 lakh for Wasim Khan, Rs 22 lakh for Monish Khan, Rs 37 lakh for Barkan Raza Khan, and Rs 26 lakh each for Oman Raza Khan and Ghulam Navi.
However, relatives of those accused denied any wrongdoing or links to Tauqeer Raza. Nadim Khan, father of Oman Raza Khan, said, “My son lives in Delhi and did not receive any prior notice from the electricity department. The administration has been accusing us of being associated with Tauqeer Raza Khan, but that is not true. He is only distantly related to us. They would have demolished our house too, but we have all the documents.”