Jailed Maulana Tauqeer Raza gets Cooperative Bank notice for loan default

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), who is currently lodged in Fatehgarh Jail for his alleged role in the recent communal violence, is now facing fresh legal trouble unrelated to the clashes.

The Badaun District Cooperative Bank has issued a recovery notice to Khan for defaulting an agricultural loan taken over three decades ago, officials confirmed on Friday. According to bank officials, he had taken a short-term crop loan of Rs 5,055 on October 29, 1990, through the Multi-Purpose Primary Rural Cooperative Society (PACS) Limited.

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Bank chairman Jitendra Kumar Saxena stated that the loan was never repaid, and with interest accrued over the years, the total outstanding amount has risen to Rs 28,346. The account has been classified as a Non-Performing Asset (NPA).

On Thursday, bank representatives pasted the recovery notice outside Khan’s residence in the Biharipur Dhal area of Bareilly directing him to repay the full amount within 15 days of receiving the communication, warning that failure to do so will trigger recovery proceedings under land revenue laws. The officials have stated that coercive measures could be initiated, with Khan personally liable for the outstanding debt.

The bank has also confirmed that a copy of the notice is being sent to the maulana at Fatehgarh Jail via the jail superintendent. Another copy will be forwarded to Deputy Inspector General of Kanpur Range, Harish Chander.

His family owns property in Badaun’s Kartoli village, which could potentially be targeted during recovery actions if payment is not made.

This development came at a time when Khan, 65, is facing mounting legal pressure. He has been booked in 10 out of 12 FIRs related to the September 26 Bareilly violence and authorities are now fast-tracking investigations into additional cases, including a 2019 protest against the CAA/NRC.