HC grants anticipatory bail to accused in 2025 Bareilly violence case

Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has granted an anticipatory bail to one of the accused in the 2025 Bareilly violence case. The accused, Altamas Khan, was not initially named in the FIR lodged by the police on Sept 26.

Justice Ashutosh Srivastava, in the order dated May 18, allowed the anticipatory bail application of Khan. As per the police case, on Sept 26 last year, Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza had exhorted members of a particular community to assemble at Islamiya Inter College in Bareilly. Despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS being in force, a crowd of about 500 people gathered, proceeding from Maulana Azad Inter College towards Shyamganj Chauraha.

The crowd, carrying placards and shouting provocative slogans, ignored repeated warnings from police personnel on the spot. The situation escalated when members of the mob turned aggressive. According to the FIR, bricks, stones and acid bottles were thrown at the police, and gunshots were fired at them from within the crowd. In the violence that followed, uniforms of several police personnel were torn and two officers were injured.

The FIR mentioned that the mob’s actions created an atmosphere of terror in the area. After attempts to calm the crowd through dialogue failed, police were forced to open fire in self-defence. The incident took place near Azad Inter College towards Shyamganj Chauraha. TThe situation escalated when the accused turned aggressive and remained adamant about moving forward.

During the hearing, counsel for the accused argued that his client had no role in the alleged crime. He pointed out that the accused was not initially named in the FIR and claimed that he had been falsely implicated in the case.