Muharram Procession In Ujjain Tries To Take Undesignated Route Breaching Barricades, Police Use Lathicharge To Restore Order

Ujjain: Tensions flared up during a Muharram procession in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Wednesday night, prompting the police to conduct lathicharge to control the crowd, which resulted in injuries to several people. As per the officials, the incident occurred when the Muharram procession deviated from its designated route, breaching police barricades, which led the police to use mild force to control the crowd. Several police personnel who suffered injuries during the ruckus were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. 

According to reports, the procession was making its way through Kamri Marg towards Geeta Colony when it suddenly veered off course, pushing down the police barricades in an attempt to take another route, not permitted by the administration, causing chaos and panic among the participants. In response, the police, who had been monitoring the situation closely, stepped in to restore order and prevent any further escalation.

The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd and restore order. A senior police officer stated that a case had been registered against 16 people involved, including one organiser, for disturbing the law and order. The police are also reviewing CCTV footage to identify other accused involved in the incident.

Police Are Identifying Suspects Involved In Breaking Barricades

Video footage of the incident has surfaced on social media, capturing the moment when a Muharram procession, comprising hundreds of people, suddenly pushed and broke barricades in an attempt to take an undesignated route. In the footage, it can be seen that the attempt was immediately met with a quick response from the police, who resorted to lathicharge to control the situation.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradeep Sharma briefed that clear instructions had been given to the organisers before the event, specifying that the procession would only be allowed to proceed along the designated route. Despite these warnings, the procession organisers and participants chose to ignore the instructions, leading to a possibly volatile situation.

"We had already clearly instructed the organizers in the meeting that the procession should be taken out only on the designated route," Sharma said. He added, "Despite this, an attempt was made to change the route, which could have disturbed the law and order. Keeping in mind the safety of the crowd, the police used mild force."

The police registered a case against 16 people, including the procession organisers, under sections of disobeying the order of a public servant, obstruction in government work, and other relevant sections. The FIR has been lodged at the JiwaJiganj police station.

The SP stated that the police had taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safe passage of the procession, deploying over 650 personnel and utilising drone cameras to monitor the situation. "Video footage and CCTV recordings are being analysed to identify other individuals involved in the incident," he added.

Talking to media personnel, the police official stated, “Yesterday, on the ninth night of Muharram, the entire procession was taken out peacefully. In this regard, continuous meetings were held with the organisers... Everyone was instructed to take out the procession on the fixed route. Despite this, an organiser attempted to cross the barricades and lead the procession in the wrong direction. Some policemen were injured as the barricades fell. Police used a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. A case has been registered against the organiser, Irfan Khan alias Lalla, and his fifteen other companions. Action will be taken as per the facts.”

Further legal action in the matter is taken by the police.