BHOPAL: Violence erupted in communally sensitive Shajapur town of Madhya Pradesh on Monday-Tuesday intervening night, after a torch-light Muharram procession was attacked with stones in the Nathwara area.
Around 6-7 persons were injured in the violence, while half a dozen vehicles were either set ablaze or damaged by the mob, which also ransacked and damaged the property in the house and office of a former government prosecutor Sunil Vishwakarma.
The incident happened at around the midnight, while the annual torch-light procession on the eve of Muharram was being taken out through the Nathwara area of Shajapur town – around 165 km from Bhopal.
“Heavy police deployment was in place keeping in mind two religious procession of two communities, the Dol Gyaras procession the Nall Sahab ki Sawari (Muharram procession) slated on the same evening. While the Dol Gyaras (Jal Jhoolni Ekadashi) procession passed through various areas of the town peacefully at around 10.30 pm, stones were pelted on the rear part of the large torch-light Nall Sahab ki Sawaari procession, when it was passing through the Nathwara area,” Shajapur district police superintendent Pankaj Srivastava said on Tuesday.
With thousands of people bearing torches forming part of the big Muharram related procession, the stone pelting from the other side, triggered a stampede like situation in the procession and those forming the procession subsequently responded with identical stone pelting on the other side.
The stone-pelting continued for around 20 minutes, followed by many people from the mob setting ablaze vehicles or damaging them. The mob also attacked the house and office of a former government prosecutor in the same locality, as the violence continued for around 45 minutes.
“Around 6-7 persons suffered injuries (not serious injuries) and around half a dozen vehicles were either torched or else damaged by the angry mob. Though cases of rioting have been registered on the complaint of both sides, CCTV camera grabs are being scanned to identify the actual culprits and act against them,” the SP Shajapur added.