'4,505 Muslims Booked, 265 Arrested Pan-India, 89 Held in Bareilly': APCR Report

"The fear of bulldozer was used to seal and shut the market in Bareilly, no notice was given," APCR's team stated.

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"All over India, a total of 4,505 Muslims have been booked. And 265 Muslims have been arrested till 7 October," stated a recent report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights released on Friday, 10 October.

The report titled, ‘I Love Muhammad’ Demonstrations in Bareilly. A Fact-Finding Report into Collective Punishment and Criminalizing Faith,' lays down the context of the crackdown on Muslims in Bareilly after Maulana Tauqeer Raza decided to submit a memorandum to the local authorities, pertaining to the ‘I Love Mohammad’ campaign last month.

"In a span of 30 days, 45 FIRs have been filed in 23 cities. All of them are against Muslims," reads the report.

The updated figure of the arrests in Bareilly reached 89 on 7 October. During the fact-finding visit, APCR stated that local lawyers said Muslims were being picked up in the Baradari area of Bareilly, and the locality is tense due to significant deployment of armed personnel in the area. The fact-finding team is of the opinion that the number of arrests will increase.

"Rather than maintaining law and order, the actions of authorities were more to do with actually teaching a lesson to Muslims," said senior journalist Prashant Tandon during the release of the report. Tandon was also part of the team that visited Bareilly.

The Bareilly Municipal Corporation (BMC) has served notices to 27 homes allegedly constructed "illegally on municipal land" with a warning that "FIRs will be filed against encroachers and demolition costs recovered from them."

'Bulldozers Used to Create Fear'

Tandon also noted that in most cases, a zero FIR was filed and names were later added who had nothing to do with the procession. "It's as if merely taking out a procession is a crime in itself," he said.

Advocate Mehfuzur Rehman Faizy, who was also part of the fact-finding team stated that the action of submitting a memorandum is a civil and a constitutional right.

"Bareilly was a different case. Because for the first time, the mere fear of bulldozers were used. They were stationed in the market and then it was sealed, no notice or dialogue at all. A clear contemptuous act. Attempt to murder charges were added to the FIR when there was no intention to kill," he continued.

The APCR report states, "The inclusion of severe sections like 132 (offences against the State) and 302 (murder), despite no deaths or armed rebellion, signals excessive criminalisation even if the version of events put forward by the police is taken to be true. These provisions are reserved for the gravest threats to national security—not peaceful protests seeking to voice concerns. Likewise, Section 196 (which promotes enmity) is applied without clear evidence of hate speech or communal intent."

By 27 September, 10 FIRs have been filed in Bareilly. The team stated that the the FIRs are vague, repetitive, and appear copied across multiple police stations, with serious allegations made without clarifying specific individual actions.

"A close examination reveals that the narratives in these FIRs exaggerate and distort the reality on the ground. Injuries to police personnel were minor; no firearms or weapons were recovered; and no clear evidence ties individuals to violent acts," reads the report.

The FIRs were also registered late at night, and copies were not promptly shared with detainees or their families, leaving many unaware of why they were arrested.

"The system is reminding us of a new way to hate against Muslims. Law worked very differently in Bareilly, it became a police state," noted Nadeem Khan, national secretary of APCR.

"The police which showered flowers on Kanwariyas, gave them a welcoming treatment, the same police is tearing down 'I love Muhammad' posters and attacking people who wanted to just submit a memorandum," remarked Khan.

How the Shops Were Sealed

Tandon also observed, "Shops were sealed, it was an attack on their livelihoods. There was no chaos on the ground, it was an unprovoked action."

Bareilly administration sealed several shops, including wedding halls and other businesses belonging to Muslims in the Mazaar Pehalwaan Market, all without issuing prior notification or any document to the shopkeepers.

Saul, a tenant told the team that the matter of the shops is sub-judice, and the Waqf Board as well as some tenants, have a stay on it from the Tribunal Court.

"There are 30-32 shops in the complex, all of which were individually sealed. No notice was given. They placed a cloth and put the red seal on it. At the time, no shopkeeper could say anything due to fear. Dr Nafis, the mutawalli appointed by the Board, was in jail," said the tenant.

Bulldozer action was carried out against Dr Nafis' property, some days ago.

Saul stated that on 29 September, the force increased. "Around 150-200 armed personnel, including the Rapid Response Force, Municipal Corporation’s Team, and police personnel were at the Chauraha...Then, all of a sudden, around 1:45, two to three vehicles arrived. People exited the vehicles and came directly to our market. They said the tenants have time till 3 PM to take whatever stuff we can from the shops as they have to seal them."

Advocate Armand stated that Maulana Tauqeer Raza has, in previous instances, given memorandums, publicly announced beforehand, and all of them had led to public gatherings.

"The crowd, when gathering, did not lead to any incident of violence. When they were coming from homes, they were not engaging in any vandalism, sloganeering, or playing songs; it was a peaceful crowd. FIRs are being hidden. They are stopping lawyers. Even the lawyers are unable to obtain copies of FIRs," he noted.

Earlier, addressing a function in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said, “The Maulana in Bareilly seemed to have forgotten whose government is in place. He threatened to block roads, but we made it clear: no jam, no curfew will be imposed. We will send a message so strong that even future generations will hesitate to riot."