Curfew in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone after houses, vehicles torched following stone-pelting at Ram Navami procession

Curfew was clamped in the entire Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh after stones hurled at a Ram Navami procession here triggered arson and torching of some vehicles and houses, officials said on Monday.

At least 24 people, including six policemen, were injured in the violence and Khargone's Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary received bullet injury, they said.

Police had to fire tear gas shells to control the situation after the stone-pelting at Ram Navami procession on Sunday. A similar stone-pelting incident was also reported during a Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town of Barwani district where a police station in-charge and five others were injured.

The situation was later brought under control, according to officials. In Khargone, curfew was clamped in the entire city on Sunday evening following the incident, as per an order issued by the office of Khargone Collector Anugrah P. Citizens have been asked to step out of home only for medical emergency, the collector said, adding that the situation is under control.

She also said that strict action will be taken against those sharing objectionable messages and videos of the Khargone incident on social media. The district administration in a tweet said for any urgent work, except medical emergency, one can seek permission from the SDM office, tehsil office and Kotwali police station.

The examinations of Class 8 as well as of graduation and post-graduation courses of colleges in Khargone city, scheduled on Monday, have been postponed till further orders, it said in another tweet. Deputy Inspector General, Nimar Range, Tilak Singh told reporters that 24 people, including six policemen, were injured in the violence and their medical examination was conducted. “The situation has been under control after 2 am today and no complaint has been received.

Police patrolling is on. A search operation was carried out and more than 70 people have so far been rounded up,” he said.

To a question, the official said he has not seen the (medical) report, but it seems SP Siddharth Choudhary suffered bullet injury in leg and underwent primary treatment. He urged people to stay at home and facilitate police to nab the anti-social elements involved in the incident.

Earlier, on Sunday, the authorities had clamped curfew in three areas of Khargone and imposed Section 144 of the CrPC (banning assembly of four or more people) in the entire city following the violence.

When the Ram Navami procession started from the Talab Chowk area near the district headquarters, stones were pelted at the gathering, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells to control the situation, Khargone Additional Collector Sumer Singh Mujalde had said.

The procession was supposed to take a round of Khargone city, but it was abandoned midway after the violence, he added.

Meanwhile, state Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel, who is also in-charge of Khargone district, in a tweet said he has directed the officials to take strict action against rioters. In Barwani, Sendhwa police station in-charge Baldev Singh Mujalde and five others were injured during stone-pelting at a Ram Navami procession on Jogwada Road on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Deepak Shukla told reporters.

The police controlled the situation immediately.

The procession continued after the incident and concluded peacefully, he said. To a question, he said rioters tried to set some vehicles ablaze, but the fire brigade reached on time and controlled the situation.

He said those involved in the incident were being identified and further action will be taken accordingly.

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