BAREILLY: At least 38 shops — mainly belonging to the minority community — at a large market complex in Bareilly city were “sealed” by local authorities on Monday, days after a clash erupted between protesters of the ‘I love Muhammad’ campaign and police last week on Friday. Shop owners alleged that the civic body’s action was a “reprisal against the Friday clash”.Locals said the shops, which mainly sold garments and footwear, located at Novelty Chowk — around 200m from the city’s Clock Tower — were forcefully vacated by the Bareilly municipal corporation citing “encroachment”. They belong to the waqf board, alleged shopkeepers.Speaking about the issue, Bareilly district magistrate (DM) Avinash Singh said, “The shops have been sealed. If someone has any document regarding it, they can produce it before the municipal commissioner and can forward their grievance to me as well. We have checked and verified all the documents before taking this step.”
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Should the local authorities provide prior notice before sealing shops?
The DM added: “It was part of a crackdown on those rioters who tried to disrupt the city’s peace and law and order. The shopkeepers had also encroached upon a large drain on govt land. The crackdown will continue.”Shopkeeper Mohd Waris claimed, “The civic body had filed a case for the land ownership. However, we have a stay from the court. This action was taken only due to Dr Nafees Ahmed, spokesperson of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), a local political outfit led by Tauqeer Raza, who used to take rent for the shops from us. A municipal team simply asked shopkeepers to vacate their units within three hours. There was no prior notice.“IMC chief Raza — also associated with the influential Ala Hazrat family of Bareilly — was arrested along with 56 others after Friday’s row. Three banquet halls, linked to another accused, were also sealed by the authorities on Sunday.Meanwhile, internet services continued to remain suspended in parts of Bareilly, till late on Monday.
