Haji Yakub Qureshi on Thursday courted controversy after he sought to defend the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Haji Yakub Qureshi on Thursday courted controversy after he sought to defend the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Haji Yakub Qureshi on Thursday courted controversy after he sought to defend the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Senior IPS officer Amitabh Thakur on Saturday shot a letter to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Anand Lal Banerjee, requesting him to further add Section 153A of the IPC in the case that was registered against BSP leader and former UP minister Haji Yakub Qureshi.

Thakur has also announced a cash reward of Rs 20,000 in his personal capacity to the police team which arrests Qureshi.

It is to be mentioned that the cleric had on Thursday announced a cash reward of Rs 51 crore to anyone who comes forward and claims responsibility for Wednesday's attack on a French weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris that claimed 12 lives.

He had in 2006 offered a similar amount to anyone who beheads the Danish cartoonist who made a controversial cartoon of Prophet Mohammad that was published in a newspaper in Denmark Jyllands-Posten and reprinted in the French publication.

A case was registered the same day in the Kotwali police station under Section 505 (1) (intent to cause fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public) of the IPC by inspector Lal Singh. Ever since, Qureshi has gone underground since he fears that he will be arrested.

Thakur, who is posted as IG (Civil Defence) told Mail Today: "I have further sought inclusion of Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.) though the two sections have the same punishment of three years while Section 505(1)(c) of the IPC is a noncognisable offence and Section 153A of the IPC is cognisable where the police can immediately initiate investigation and make arrest, if found true."