Section 144 imposed in MP’s Khandwa after communal tension; 5 detained

Police said the tension was created after four Muslim youths thrashed a Muslim girl, a school lab teacher and a Hindu male student for celebrating birthday in a restaurant on Sunday afternoon

Updated on: Apr 17, 2023, 11:50:09 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Prohibitions under Section 144 have been imposed in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa and five people including an independent corporator have been detained after communal tension broke out in the city late Sunday, police said.

The Khandwa district administration has imposed Section 144 and heavy police force has been deployed in the area. (Representative Image)

The tension was created after four Muslim youths thrashed a Muslim girl, a school lab teacher and a Hindu male student for celebrating birthday in a restaurant on Sunday afternoon, said Satendra Shukla, superintendent of police (SP), Khandwa. The accused also took away the teacher and Hindu student with them.

On the complaint of the girl, police registered a case against the four Muslim youths for kidnapping and voluntarily causing hurt. Police have arrested two accused while the other two are still at large.

Hindu organisations staged a protest in the afternoon.

Later at 11pm, many Muslims led by corporator Ashfaq Sigad reached Moghat police station and Lal Chowk. They pelted stones at the police station and also shouted slogans against police alleging one-sided action. Three people were injured in the stone pelting.

Police used mild force to disperse the mob. Section 144 was imposed by the district administration and heavy police force has been deployed in the area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More