The Allahabad high court rejected the bail application of Ittehad-e-Millat Council founder Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the September 2025 Bareilly violence case.
The court accordingly declined to grant bail to Raza. When police attempted to stop them, the crowd allegedly raised the slogan, pelted stones and petrol bombs and opened fire at the police party, injuring several personnel and damaging public property. The court noted that members of the community nevertheless marched towards the Islamia grounds and, when stopped by police personnel, allegedly indulged in rioting and destruction of public property, causing injuries to police personnel. The court also took note of Raza’s conduct after the incident. It observed that his giving a speech thanking the masses for responding to his call and applauding their acts could not be approved of.
The state alleged that despite the prohibition, around 200 to 250 people marched towards the Islamia Inter College grounds. Raza, however, claimed that the call to assemble had subsequently been cancelled after permission was denied and Section 163 of the BNSS was imposed.
The court held that the “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogan allegedly raised by the crowd during the violence could not be equated with religious slogans such as “Allahu Akbar”, “Jo Bole So Nihaal”, “Jai Shree Ram” or “Har Har Mahadev”.
