Heavy police deployment and at least 49 arrests followed communal clashes in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district after tensions flared in Sihora tehsil, The Indian Express reported.
The violence erupted on Thursday night in Sihora’s Azad Chowk area, around 40 km from Jabalpur city, after a grill at a Durga temple was allegedly damaged. Police said the incident triggered stone-pelting between two groups, with several people reportedly taking to the streets armed with sticks.
According to the report, an argument between members of two communities over prayers being conducted at their respective places of worship at the same time escalated into physical altercations. The clashes intensified into stone-pelting that lasted nearly 20 to 25 minutes.
Police teams were rushed to the spot late Thursday night and brought the situation under control. However, tensions resurfaced on Friday afternoon when right-wing organisations staged protests outside the Sihora police station, demanding action against those involved in the temple vandalism.
Some protesters reportedly blocked roads, while incidents of vandalism were reported near the local bus stand, where a few handcarts were overturned.
Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay said CCTV footage from the area was being examined to identify those involved and that further arrests were likely. “The situation is under control, but security arrangements have been tightened as a precaution,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Jabalpur Additional Superintendent of Police Suryakant Sharma said 49 people had been arrested in connection with the stone-pelting incident and that an FIR had been registered.
Police personnel from more than a dozen police stations were deployed in the area, and flag marches were conducted to prevent further unrest. While authorities said normalcy had largely returned by Friday morning, the atmosphere remained tense after fresh protests later in the day.
The administration appealed to residents to maintain peace and refrain from spreading rumours, warning that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb communal harmony.