MP violence: Curfew relaxed for four hours in Khargone

Curfew was relaxed for two hours each on Friday morning and evening in Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh as the situation began to normalise in the aftermath of the violence on Ram Navami, officials said.

No untoward incident was reported from the area, they added.

Curfew was relaxed for all persons from 10 am to 12 noon and from 3pm to 5pm to allow people to buy essential items, though they were not allowed to use vehicles and must make purchases from nearby shops, Khargone district collector Anugraha P said.

Only the stores selling milk, vegetables, provisions and medicines were allowed to remain open during the curfew relaxation, the collector added.

In-charge Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani said the law and order situation in the city was under control, and further relaxation will be granted depending on how it holds up.

So far, 41 cases have been registered in connection with the violence and 144 people have been taken into custody, Kashwani said.

The Ram Navami procession in the city on April 10 witnessed stone pelting, group clashes and arson. Among the injured was Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary who received a bullet injury.

Four persons who arrived from Gujarat and were seen distributing relief and assistance to people were detained during the day amid reports that the Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) allegedly funded the violence in Khargone, said State Reserve Police Commandant Ankit Jaiswal.

Police were probing if these four persons had any link to the PFI, he said.