Bareilly: Nida Khan, the daughter-in-law of the elder brother of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) and a prominent figure in the Ala Hazrat family of Bareilly, allegedly received threats following the September 26 violence in the city.

The Ala Hazrat family is said to be the descendants of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, also known as Ala Hazrat (1856-1921), a notable Islamic scholar, jurist, Sufi, and reformer. The family holds significant religious and spiritual authority within the Barelvi movement of Sunni Islam, known for their scholastic and spiritual contributions.

In a video posted on social media on Wednesday, Nida claimed that she has been receiving abusive messages on her social media accounts and threatening calls from internet-generated numbers.

She alleged that followers of the cleric have been intimidating her and urged the police to take strict action against those responsible.

Nida, who is estranged from her husband Shiran Raza, said in the four-minute, 24-second video that while she had faced threats previously, the situation worsened after the recent violence and Tauqeer Khan’s subsequent arrest.

“The maulana’s followers have been calling me for the past several days from internet-generated numbers and abusing me online. I now feel unsafe,” Nida said in the video, adding that “whatever happened with the maulana was right, because many Muslims were suffering due to his actions.”

Station House Officer (SHO) of Baradari police station, Dhananjay Pandey, said on Thursday that no complaint or video has been received from Nida Khan so far.

“She belongs to a respected family. If any written complaint or video is received, action will be taken immediately,” the SHO assured.

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 that had gathered outside a mosque after Friday prayers, allegedly after 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, according to officials.

Subsequent police investigations revealed that some leaders of the IMC allegedly conspired to incite the riots under the guise of protests.

IMC chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan is currently behind bars for his alleged involvement in the violence.