‘I love Muhammad’ row accused Afzal Beg surrenders
NEW DELHI: Afzal Beg, the personal secretary of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and a wanted accused in the September 26 violence case, surrendered before a court in Bareilly, police said on Thursday.Carrying a reward of Rs 15,000, Beg appeared in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on Wednesday along with his lawyer and a few associates, after which the court sent him to jail, reported PTI.Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anurag Arya said the reward was announced for his arrest when he could not be traced, and Kila police station in-charge Subhash Singh was instructed to ensure his apprehension.Singh said police had received prior information about Beg’s surrender, and a team was deployed outside the court, but he managed to surrender quietly inside with the help of his lawyer.A resident of Viharipur, Civil Lines, Beg had earlier served as an IMC office-bearer and was known for keeping on the heels of Khan and IMC spokesperson Nafees, police said. The IMC chief’s aide is also wanted in another rioting case registered at the Baradari police station, and police there are likely to seek his custody for interrogation, Singh added. Police will soon move the court to obtain non-bailable warrants against the other absconding accused, SSP Arya said. If they fail to appear, the reward amounts may be increased, and property attachment proceedings could be initiated with the court’s approval, he said, as cited by PTI.Violence erupted in Bareilly on September 26 after a dispute over posters with the message ‘I Love Muhammad’. Clashes broke out between police and a large crowd outside a mosque after Friday prayers, allegedly following a call given by Tauqeer Raza Khan after police denied permission for a demonstration.The protesters allegedly pelted stones, and police resorted to a lathi charge to control the situation, officials said. Police said some leaders of the IMC had allegedly conspired to incite the riots “under the guise of protests”.