Maulana Tauqeer Raza in fresh trouble over 35-year-old unpaid loan
Badaun District Cooperative Bank CEO Hari Babu Bharti confirmed that a recovery team was dispatched on Thursday to serve the recovery notice at Raza’s Bareilly residence. “If the amount is not paid within the stipulated time, his property will be attached,” Bharti said, adding the bank had adopted a strict policy toward all defaulters.
The troubles of Maulana Tauqeer Raza, the president of Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) accused of instigating communal unrest in Bareilly, appear far from over. Nearly two weeks after his arrest, he faces another controversy -- this time over a three-decade-old agricultural loan which has now grown to more than ₹28,000 with accumulated interest.
Badaun District Cooperative Bank CEO Hari Babu Bharti confirmed that a recovery team was dispatched on Thursday to serve the recovery notice at Raza’s Bareilly residence. “If the amount is not paid within the stipulated time, his property will be attached,” Bharti said, adding the bank had adopted a strict policy toward all defaulters.
Investigations have revealed that Raza sold most of his properties in Badaun years ago, prompting the bank to focus on his assets in Bareilly and other districts. “Wherever we find properties registered in his name, attachment proceedings will be carried out,” Bharti stated.
According to officials, the case dates back to 1990, when Raza, a native of Kartouli village in Badaun district, borrowed ₹5,560 from the Rasoolpur Kutti Sadhan Sahkari Samiti to purchase fertiliser and seeds. Despite several reminders, he neither repaid the principal nor any interest. Now, the bank has reopened the case and launched formal recovery proceedings.
In 1996, the state government announced a farm loan waiver scheme, but Raza’s account was not covered under it. A subsequent audit in 1997 revealed that his loan remained outstanding. Over the years, the bank issued multiple recovery notices, but payment never came through, allegedly due to Raza’s influence and political stature.
Following the recent violence in Bareilly and Raza’s arrest, the District Cooperative Bank reopened several pending loan files, including his. The latest audit shows that ₹21,940 in interest has accumulated on the ₹5,560 principal, bringing the total outstanding amount to ₹28,386. The bank is also considering an additional 2% penalty interest on the overdue sum, officials said.
The bank’s recovery team has re-examined old records and forwarded a report to the state cooperative department headquarters. A senior official confirmed that Raza’s case has reached the government level, and officials in Bareilly and Badaun have been directed to cooperate with the bank.
