Muharram procession: Horse used to break barricades in Madhya Pradesh; 5 police personnel injured
The police resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control after some of the participants clashed with police.
Five policemen were injured in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh after barricades fell on them during a Muharram procession on Sunday.
The incident occurred near Khajurwadi Masjid in Ujjain after the participants in a Muharram procession tried to force their way through a prohibited route and rammed a horse into the barricades, news agency PTI reported.
The police resorted to a lathi charge to bring the situation under control after some of the participants clashed with police, the report quoted an official as saying.
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"The route had been finalised in advance and organisers of the procession were clearly instructed not to take horses through prohibited paths. Despite this, those in the procession tried to force their way after getting the horse to ram into the barricades," Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said.
"We had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. They fled leaving the horse behind," he added.
Those injured include assistant sub inspector Khuman Singh Kelwa, head constables Mukesh Munia, Anil Sisodia, Chandrapal and constable Shyam Singh, according to Jiwajiganj Station House Officer Vivek Kanodia. The injured policemen were given first aid at the district hospital.
Sixteen people, including the organisers of the Muharram procession, have been booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, among other charges.
"The horse used to topple the barricade belongs to one Irfan alias Lalla from Begum Bagh. Sixteen persons, including the organise, were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rioting, unlawful assembly and obstructing public servants from discharging their duty," Kanodia said.
The incident comes as several states have stepped up security in view of the Muharram processions. In a separate incident, at least one person was killed and three injured after the procession came in contact with a high-tension wire in Jharkhand's Giridih district.
