Local police have filed another chargesheet in connection with the violence that broke out in the city on September 26, officials confirmed on Saturday.
A police officer said that the chargesheet was submitted on Friday before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM).
According to the police, the latest chargesheet names 38 accused, including Maulana Tauqeer Raza, chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), who has been described as the main accused in the case. The chargesheet alleges that during the violence, some people attacked a police team on the instructions of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and raised provocative slogans. It also states that one of the accused is a minor and two others are residents of Shahjahanpur.
Senior Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parekh told the media that chargesheets have already been filed in 10 cases related to the violence in the city. An FIR registered at Baradari police station named Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan along with Mohammad Azam, Farhat Khan, Moeen Khan, Umed, Mustakeem, Arwaz, Nazim Raza Khan, Mohsin, and others among the 38 accused.
Parekh said on September 26, a total of 10 FIRs were registered at Baradari, Kotwali, Prem Nagar, Qila, and Cantt police stations, and two more cases were added later. “So far, chargesheets have been filed against more than 100 accused in 10 main cases. Of these, 87 are currently in jail, while investigations in two cases are still ongoing,” he added.
The violence reportedly erupted after Baradari police station inspector Dhananjay Pandey informed senior officers that a police team was attacked near Shahdana Road during a patrol. The police said following a call by Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a crowd attempted to march towards Islamia Ground and raised provocative slogans.
According to Parekh, when police personnel reached Shyamatganj bridge with additional force, around 200–250 people, including the named accused, allegedly attacked the police team again. The Crime Branch, led by Inspector Sanjay Dheer, investigated the case, resulting in the filing of the latest chargesheet. During the investigation, nine additional accused were identified and included, he added.