Section 144 imposed in parts of MP’s Shajapur after stone pelting on religious procession

Shajapur, Jan 9 (PTI) The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in three areas of Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur city after some people threw stones on participants of a religious procession following a dispute.

One person was injured in the incident which took place in Magaria area on Monday evening, a police official said, adding that adequate security has been deployed in the area and an FIR registered in this connection.

Shajapur Collector Riju Bafna in a post on X said Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been imposed with immediate effect in three areas – Magaria, Kachhiwada and Lalpura.

The situation is currently peaceful and a case has been registered against the miscreants and further legal action is being taken, he said.

Seven-eight persons stopped a group of people on Nag-Nagin Road near a mosque at around 8.30 pm on Monday when the latter were taking out a routine evening procession ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, as per the First Information Report (FIR) registered on a complaint by one Mohit Rathore, who was part of the procession.

The persons told them not to take out the procession from the area and a group of people gathered there subsequently, the FIR stated.

The procession participants were manhandled and stones were pelted at them, it said.

The complainant claimed they were also attacked with swords and stones were hurled from rooftops.

Following the complaint, the police registered the FIR against 24 identified people and 15-20 unidentified persons.

Ujjain’s divisional commissioner Sanjay Goyal and Inspector General Santosh Kumar Singh reached the spot after the incident.

Shajapur MLA Arun Bhimawad went to a local police station after the incident and demanded action against the accused.