Six more arrested for Bahraich violence, tally goes up to 121

With this, authorities have so far arrested 121 people allegedly involved in the violence, police said

Six more individuals, including an alleged key conspirator, were arrested on Sunday in connection with the violence that led to the murder of a youth during a Durga idol immersion procession in Maharajganj area of Bahraich district on October 13.

Police personnel keep a vigil at a deserted area of Maharajganj after a recent communal violence, in Bahraich district, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (PTI File)

With this, authorities have so far arrested 121 people allegedly involved in the violence, police said.

Those arrested were identified as Shakeel Ahmed alias Bablu, his brothers Mohammad Irfan (29) and Farhan Raza (24), besides Haseeb (33), Tausif (25) and Noorani (28). They were produced before a court and sent to jail.

The operation was supervised by additional superintendent of police (Rural) Durga Prasad Tiwari. A specialized police team led by SHO Hardi Kamal Shankar Chaturvedi utilized CCTV footage and digital evidence to track down those allegedly involved.

Superintendent of police Vrinda Shukla said two cases were registered at Hardi police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, including 191(2) (rioting), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 103(2) (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), and under the Arms Act in connection with Ram Gopal Mishra’s murder.

Three more suspects—Saif Ali, Javed, and Shoaib—have been identified but are still at large. The superintendent of police has announced a reward of ₹10,000 for information leading to the arrest of each remaining suspect.

The situation in Maharajganj and the surrounding areas is now stable and under control.