Two Bareilly Violence Accused Nabbed in Police Encounter, Illegal Arms Recovered

Bareilly: Two key accused in the communal violence that erupted in Bareilly after Friday prayers have been arrested following an encounter with police near Bandiya Canal in the CB Ganj police station area.

The accused – Idris and Iqbal, both hailing from Shahjahanpur – sustained injuries in the exchange of fire before being overpowered. According to police, Idris has 20 criminal cases registered against him, while Iqbal faces 17 charges.

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Illegal weapons were recovered from the duo, including an anti-tear gun seized from Idris. The police also recovered the service weapon looted from the gunman of SP City Manush Parik during the clashes, marking a significant breakthrough in the case.

The arrests come days after violent clashes broke out in Bareilly’s old city area last Friday following inflammatory sloganeering during a procession after prayers. The violence left several policemen injured, vehicles torched and prompted heavy deployment of security forces across sensitive pockets.

The police had since launched a manhunt for suspects identified through CCTV footage and local intelligence. Over a dozen people have been arrested so far, with Idris and Iqbal seen as prime instigators of the mob violence.

Officials said both accused will be interrogated further to trace the wider network behind the unrest and to identify those responsible for looting weapons and orchestrating attacks on police teams.