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Tension escalates in Ujjain over Shahi Masjid portion removal; tear gas fired as stone-pelting continues

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Ujjain, Sep 28: A tense situation gripped parts of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Monday morning as protests against the proposed partial removal of the historic Shahi Masjid turned restive, with stone-pelting reported and police resorting to tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

A heavy police force remains deployed around the mosque complex amid ongoing preparations for the Simhastha 2028 event.

The unrest centres on road-widening work along an approximately 900-metre stretch from Kanthal Square to Gopal Mandir. Authorities are expanding the route to 15 metres to manage the expected large influx of pilgrims during the major Hindu religious gathering.

Several religious structures fall within the project’s alignment. Officials note that most of around 60 such structures along the route have already been cleared. However, the Shahi Masjid and a nearby mazar close to the “Khade Hanuman Mandir” have become focal points of opposition in recent days.

The Shahi Masjid, described by community members as a centuries-old Waqf property (with some accounts dating it to around 1390), is proposed for partial demolition affecting portions of the prayer hall, a minaret, and related structures.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court in Indore had earlier dismissed petitions challenging the Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s notices, citing public interest and traffic needs for the upcoming Simhastha. A further hearing related to the matter was scheduled for Monday at the Indore High Court.

Anticipating possible enforcement, authorities deployed nearly 2,000 police personnel along with heavy machinery, including earthmoving machines.

Members of the Muslim community began gathering at the Shahi Masjid complex and adjoining roads from Saturday night, raising slogans. The protests continued through Sunday night. Barricades were erected on the “Kanthal-Gopal Mandir” route to restrict movement, and surveillance was conducted using drone cameras.

Police and Rapid Action Force units maintained a strong presence.

On Monday, as the situation remained charged, some youths continued pelting stones at police personnel even as tear gas shells were fired repeatedly, police sources said. More than a dozen and a half shells were used in efforts to disperse the gathering.

Tension continued at the site while forces worked to restore order.

In a related incident during law-and-order duties, Crime Branch TI Pushpa Panchal sustained an injury to her hand. According to police, a group of women was advancing during the protest. While the female police contingent attempted to move them away safely, officers approached the group, who were using a sheet as cover. The corner of the sheet cut TI Panchal’s hand. She received first aid, and her hand was bandaged.

Police confirmed that none of the protesting women was injured and all remained safe.

The administration has emphasised that the road-widening forms part of broader infrastructure upgrades for Simhastha 2028, which is expected to draw crores of devotees. Similar actions have been taken against numerous other religious and non-religious structures across the city to ease congestion near key sites, including the Mahakaleshwar Temple area.

Community representatives have called for the mosque to be spared, while authorities maintain that the work proceeds under legal processes and development plans.

As of the latest reports, a large police contingent continues to maintain security around the mosque, with efforts focused on preventing further escalation while the High Court hearing proceeds.

Crime

Tiger Shroff firing case: 3 suspects held in Rajasthan’s Kota planned to flee to Nepal, say police

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The Kota City Police in Rajasthan have made a major breakthrough in the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai by apprehending three suspects, including a minor, at Kota railway station. According to Kota Superintendent of Police (SP) Tejaswani Gautam, preliminary questioning has revealed that the suspects planned to travel to Delhi before fleeing to Nepal.

Acting on intelligence that the suspects were travelling to Kota aboard the Pune-Jaipur Express, a police team surrounded and searched the train. The operation was completed in approximately 15 minutes, following which all three suspects were taken into custody.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Rehan alias Sukka, a resident of Sonipat in Haryana; Hrithik Kurmi alias Roshan, a resident of Begusarai in Bihar; and a minor.

According to the SP, Hrithik had been living in Mumbai for the past few years.

SP Gautam said preliminary questioning indicated that Rehan alias Sukka was in contact with Anil Pandit, who is reportedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police are investigating whether this connection had any role in the firing incident.

The weapon allegedly used in the shooting has not yet been recovered. Investigators will question the suspects further to establish where the weapon was taken after the incident and identify others who may have been involved.

A team from the Mumbai Police has reached Kota, and the process of handing over the suspects to the Mumbai Police is underway.

The incident took place on Sunday at around 7 p.m., when Tiger Shroff was returning by car from a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu area.

According to the police, the assailants fired at the vehicle with a pistol, injuring the driver. Another person present at the scene was also hit by a bullet.

A Mumbai Police official said Tiger Shroff managed to lean forward when the shots were fired, helping him avoid a direct hit. However, he sustained an injury from a fragment of shattered glass. The investigation is continuing to establish the motive behind the attack, trace the weapon used in the shooting and determine the possible involvement of other individuals.

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Crime

Pickup truck loaded with explosives blows up in Rajasthan Bhilwara, driver killed

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A powerful explosion in a pickup truck loaded with explosives in Aguncha village of Rajasthan Bhilwara district killed the driver on the spot on Monday.

The blast, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. within the jurisdiction of Gulabpura police station, completely destroyed the vehicle and reduced a nearby enclosure wall to rubble.

The explosion was so intense that the pickup truck’s parts were blown apart, with debris scattered over a wide area. The driver’s body was found beneath the rubble of the collapsed wall.

According to police, the deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Ram Avtar, a resident of Bundi.

The explosion was heard from a considerable distance, triggering panic among residents, many of whom rushed out of their homes to assess the situation.

The impact shattered glass in the doors and windows of nearby houses, while cracks reportedly appeared in some walls.

The enclosure where the pickup was parked was extensively damaged, with its wall collapsing completely. The vehicle’s engine was reportedly thrown around 10 feet away by the force of the blast.

Villagers gathered at the site soon after the explosion and attempted to extinguish the fire. The discovery of the driver’s body beneath the debris added to the gravity of the incident.

Gulabpura Station House Officer Sanjay Gurjar said the explosion occurred inside an enclosure belonging to Ramdev, son of Hiralal Khatik, a local resident. A pickup truck loaded with explosives was parked inside the premises when it suddenly exploded.

After receiving information, police personnel from the Aguncha police outpost and Gulabpura police station reached the spot and secured the area.

A forensic team has been called to examine the site, identify the explosive materials and determine the exact cause of the explosion.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Further details are awaited as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the blast and why these were in the truck.

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Crime

One killed, several injured in clashes between two communities in Manipur

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One person was killed and several others injured in clashes between members of two communities in Manipur Thoubal district, prompting the authorities to impose prohibitory orders in two affected areas, police said on Monday.

A police official in Imphal said that the violence erupted at Khangabok village, under Thoubal police station and around 25 km south of the state capital Imphal, on Sunday night when a group of people allegedly pelted stones at a ground where a music concert was being held, police said.

The incident escalated into stone-pelting between members of the two communities in Khangabok and neighbouring Sangaiyumpham. A few houses and vehicles were also set on fire during the clashes.

Amid the violence, unidentified miscreants opened fire, hitting a person in the head. The injured man, identified as Laishram Rakesh, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Several other people sustained minor cut injuries after being hit by stones and were admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Additional state and central security forces were deployed in the affected villages to prevent further escalation.

The situation was under control on Monday morning, police said.

Following the violence, the Thoubal district magistrate issued prohibitory orders on Sunday night, directing residents of Khangabok and Sangaiyumpham not to leave their homes from 11 p.m.

The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), cited the likelihood of a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity and an imminent threat to human life and property due to the alleged unlawful activities of anti-social elements.

The order did not specify when the restrictions would be lifted.

Meanwhile, more than 25 houses were set ablaze in separate incidents in Manipur’s Kamjong district during the past 24 hours, with suspected militants targeting both Naga and Kuki inhabitant areas, forcing civilians to flee their homes and take shelter in forests and a nearby security camp.

Around 14 abandoned houses belonging to the Naga community were set on fire by unidentified miscreants at Pilong and Skipe villages along the India-Myanmar border on Sunday.

Additional security forces were deployed after these incidents, a police official said. The houses had been abandoned after earlier attacks on the Naga-inhabited villages.

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