Written by Neetika JhaOctober 5, 2025 09:51 AM IST 4 min readSecurity personnel stand guard while shops on alleged illegal encroachments being demolished by the authorities, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (PTI Photo)Over a week after violence erupted in Bareilly over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ row, the district administration Saturday carried out a demolition drive against illegal constructions in several parts of the district — including a banquet hall owned by one of the men arrested in connection with the clashes.The Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) demolished Raza Palace, owned by Dr Nafees Khan in the Jakhira area, in the presence of heavy police force. Dr Nafees (65) and his son Farhan (32) were arrested last Wednesday, with police alleging they helped gather the crowd on the day of the clashes.Officials also conducted a flag march throughout the area and appealed to people to maintain peace and order.BDA Vice-Chairman Dr Manikandan, who was present during the drive, said it was a routine action and was not linked to the violence. “The baarat ghar belonged to Dr Nafees. A notice was issued to him in 2024 that the structure was illegal. A demolition order was issued on May 17, 2025. As per directions of the Supreme Court and High Court, we gave him 30 days to file an appeal. Now, there is no appeal pending,” he said.“We have been demolishing illegal buildings and it has nothing to do with the law and order situation. This is a routine affair. We are taking action against anyone who has constructed a building without getting [land] maps approved,” he asserted, adding that the action will continue. Officials had earlier identified alleged illegal properties, linked to associates of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) president Maulana Tauqeer Raza, who has been accused of “masterminding” the violence and was arrested.In Faiq Enclave, the administration sealed a house belonging to one Farhat, among those arrested, on allegations of sheltering Tauqeer.Officials said teams from the BDA and district administration inspected areas including Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and the Old City, and found several structures built without approved land maps and some encroaching on government land.Story continues below this adIn Silani, the BDA launched a campaign to demolish shops built illegally on drains and sewers while the Municipal Corporation carried out an anti-encroachment drive to remove unauthorised extensions of shops and houses.District Magistrate, Bareilly, Avinash Singh also maintained that the demolition was a regular drive.“The problem of waterlogging in the city is rampant; drains get flooded as people build permanent and non-permanent structures over it,” he said.Speaking about the clashes, DM Singh said the protesters had conspired to riot but the administration was alert and stopped it. “I had issued directions to district officials to engage in conversation with people as Section 163 of BNSS was in force in the city, which did not allow more than five people to gather. Some people went back but a few stayed behind to cause violence. It was controlled within one to one and half hours.”Story continues below this ad“There has been no major damage to state property. But I see this as a way to slow down the development of the city. This episode has taken Bareilly back by 10 years. Investors will ask us what has been happening… Bareilly was leading in terms of development, but this has affected us,” he added.Speaking to The Indian Express, Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said 83 people have been arrested so far. “We are looking at CCTV footage to identify others involved. Ten FIRs have been registered in the case and an SIT, including 10 investigating officers, an SOG (Special Operations Group) team and three circle officers under the Superintendent of Police (City), will probe the case,” said Arya.SP City, Manush Pareek, said certain WhatsApp groups were formed 48 hours before the clash and a team has been formed to identify those behind it.Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd