Bareilly/Meerut, Sept. 28 -- Police on Saturday arrested cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza, along with his seven associates, terming him the chief conspirator in connection with the violent clashes in Bareilly following Friday prayers.

All the eight were sent to jail following court orders. Authorities said the unrest was not sudden but part of a week-long plan to disrupt law and order.

"The main conspirator of the Bareilly unrest, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, along with seven mischievous elements, have been arrested, produced in court, and sent to 14-day judicial custody," Bareilly district magistrate Avinash Singh said at a joint press conference with senior superintendent of police Anurag Arya on Saturday.

Following the violence, the district ad...