Bhopal: Five cops were injured on Tuesday after a group of people taking part in a religious procession allegedly threw stones and firecrackers at a police team in Jabalpur.
The police team had to use batons and tear gas shells to disperse the mob. The violence came hours after disruption and alleged lathi-charge in Dhar during another procession on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. The Dhar police, however, denied any use of force.
Police sources said the violence in Jabalpur started after the team stopped a group of men from playing loud music in the communally sensitive area, where prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc was declared.
"Police personnel were deployed in Machhali Bazaar as it is a sensitive area. They used lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells in self-defence after some persons threw firecrackers and stones at police," said Superintendent of Police Siddharth Bahuguna.
District collector Karmveer Sharma told reporters that the culprits have been identified and action will be taken.
In Dhar, men participating in a procession allegedly entered into a scuffle with the police while attempting to lead the procession through a route for which they had no permission.
This led to a dispute with the police. According to eyewitnesses, the police then used batons to disperse the crowd. The procession was allowed to continue later on the designated route.
Aditya Pratap Singh, the Superintendent of Police, Dhar, said, "There was no incident of lathi-charge. A route was fixed for the Milad-un-Nabi procession, but some disruptive people got involved and insisted on taking the traditional route for the procession."
"Such people were forced out and the procession was later taken out peacefully... Those who created trouble are being identified through the video footage and appropriate legal action will be taken against them," Singh said.