Police on Monday detained a close associate of cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the recent violence in Bareilly during a protest in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign, officials said.

Confirming the detention of Nadeem, Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya told PTI that the incident was not spontaneous but premeditated.

According to senior officials, investigation has revealed that Nadeem allegedly orchestrated the protest. He called 55 individuals via WhatsApp, who then mobilised a crowd of around 1,600 people.

"They conspired to launch an agitation on the lines of anti-CAA and NRC protests, placing minors at the forefront of the demonstration," said an official.

Nadeem and his associates were allegedly active at key location

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