Two students linked to fundamentalist group arrested in Bareilly

Bareilly (UP): Two men have been arrested here on suspicion of links to fundamentalist group Haidari Dal, officials said on Monday. Medical student Jaish Ahmad and an engineering student Shanu, both accused of promoting inflammatory content and inciting religious sentiments through social media and offline gatherings were held by the Kotwali police station officials on Sunday evening, they said.

Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Pareek said, "Both the arrested youths were actively involved with the Haidari Dal. One of them used social media platforms to promote the group, while the other facilitated meetings at his clinic. We are conducting a deeper investigation into this network, and the role of other individuals is also being examined."

According to the police, Ahmad, a resident of Baradari, Bareilly, is a student at a private homeopathy college and also operates a clinic near his residence. Investigations have revealed that Jaish allegedly used his clinic as a meeting point for Haidari Dal members from across the district, where group strategies were discussed.

Social media misuse

He is also accused of providing financial support to the organisation, the police claimed. Shanu, a resident of Baheri, is a second-year computer science student at a private university. Police said that during the investigation following Jaish's arrest, it was found that Shanu had created an Instagram page in the name of Haidari Dal. The page was used to share objectionable, provocative, and communally sensitive content, the police claimed.

Both accused were produced in court on Monday and have been remanded to judicial custody. The Haidari Dal first came under scrutiny on June 7, the day of Bakrid, after a video surfaced showing a group of youths confronting members of a particular community in Gandhi Udyan (park).

In the video, men were seen questioning young women from a specific community who were sitting with men from another community, asking them their names, religion, and addresses in a manner meant to shame and intimidate them. The video was later uploaded on Instagram, where it quickly went viral. Following public outrage and online circulation of the video, police launched an investigation and on June 8, registered a case at the Kotwali police station.

Also read Haryana: Fake HSSC website gang busted, main conspirator arrested from Gorakhpur

Suspects in the case

Two accused - Shahbaz Raza alias Sufiyan, a resident of Mallpur Bhuta, and Sameer Raza - were arrested and sent to jail. However, other suspects, including Mufti Khalid (a resident of Puranpur) and Riyazuddin (a resident of Majhua under Faridpur police station), remain absconding.

Police said its teams are actively conducting raids to trace and arrest them. Meanwhile, authorities are also investigating the sources of financial support to Haidari Dal and identifying those who may have contributed funds to the organisation.