Madhya Pradesh: Bungalow of Key Accused in Chhatarpur Stone Pelting Bulldozed

Bhopal: The palatial bungalow of the key accused in Wednesday's attack on a police station at district headquarters of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh was on Thursday bulldozed by the local administration.

Haji Sahajad Ali whose house, built in 20,000 sq ft, was bulldozed by the local administration however fled the spot along with his family members by the time the demolition squad along with police reached there, police said.

The illegal constructions were removed, a senior police officer said.

A mob comprising members of a particular community had gone to the Kotwali police station in district headquarters of Chhattisgarh late on Wednesday evening to submit a memorandum against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj for his alleged objectionable remarks targeting a religion.

Some miscreants had suddenly started pelting stones at police when the in-charge of the police station came out to receive the memorandum.

Three police personnel were injured in the incident.

The police had promptly sprang to action and dispersed the rioters and calmed the situation when the miscreants started pelting stones at the police station, Chhatarpur district superintendent of police Agam Jain said on Thursday.

Three to four main suspects involved in the stone pelting incident were identified and their illegal constructions are being removed, he said.

An FIR has been registered against over 150 people, he added.

According to the police, 40 people have so far been detained for interrogation in connection with the incident.

Taking to X, chief minister Mohan Yadav described the Wednesday incident in which three police personnel were injured in stone pelting by miscreants as unfortunate and warned that strict action would be taken against the culprits.

“Madhya Pradesh is a peaceful state and any attempt to break law and order in a planned manner will not be tolerated”, he said.

In a related development, Congress MP Imran Pratapgari slammed the state government for demolishing the house of Ali, alleging that BJP governments in the states are looking for excuses to bulldoze houses of Muslims.

Madhya Pradesh unit BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma however defended the police action saying that the miscreants tried to unleash terror by attacking the police station.

He said that the action against the accused was taken as per the law.