Tension in MP’s Tarana amid clash between two groups; buses set afire, stone-pelting reported

Ujjain: Tension erupted once again in Tarana town of Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh on Friday after ‘namaz’, with the mob allegedly setting buses on fire, vandalising shops and pelting stones at several places, prompting heavy deployment of police forces to bring the situation under control. The unrest began with a minor dispute on January 22 night over giving way to a bus. What started as an argument quickly escalated into tension between two communities, leading to incidents of stone-pelting, vandalism and arson.

On Friday, the situation deteriorated further as unidentified rioters allegedly torched two buses and spread panic through vandalism and stone-pelting. Police reached the scene promptly and managed to bring the situation under control, officials said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma told the media that a case of attempted murder has been registered against six individuals and appealed to the public to maintain peace, assuring that strict action is being taken against those responsible.

According to SP Sharma, the incident stemmed from an attack on one Sohel Thakur, who was assaulted from behind by a group of youths. He sustained serious head injuries and was referred to Ujjain for further treatment.

Based on his complaint, police registered a case of attempted murder against six accused — Sappan Mirza, Ishaan Mirza, Shadab alias Idli, Salman Mirza, Rizwan Mirza and Naved. Five of them have already been arrested, while four others are in custody for questioning.

The SP confirmed that the injured person’s condition is stable.

Earlier, communal tension erupted in Tarana tehsil after an attack on a VHP-Bajrang Dal worker. Protesters damaged around a dozen buses parked at the bus stand, and heavy police deployment was made to maintain peace.

In view of the tension, a large police force was deployed in the town and police continuously patrolled sensitive areas. The situation in Tarana went out of control on Thursday evening when the dispute turned violent.

Markets remained closed on Friday and a heavy police presence was maintained in the area. Police continued to appeal to people to maintain peace.

On Friday morning, workers of Hindu organisations again gheraoed the Tarana police station demanding that the houses of the accused be demolished after parading them in a procession.

Despite efforts by administration and police officials to pacify them, the protesters remained firm in their demands. They staged a dharna outside the police station and recited the Hanuman Chalisa.

Authorities continued to appeal for calm, stressing that those responsible for the attack have been arrested. CCTV footage of the incident is being reviewed and the number of accused may increase, police said.

Meanwhile, video footage circulating on social media, though not independently verified, shows instances of arson and heightened tension in the area.

As Basant Panchami and Friday coincided, senior police officials have been deployed at the scene as a precautionary measure. Both sides have been urged to maintain peace. One company of the Special Task Force (STF) and around 300 police personnel and officers have been deployed at the spot.

IANS