National Security Act Invoked Against 2 Mhow Riots Accused, At Least 50 Named In 9 FIRs

Clashes broke out when a group of people attacked a victory procession in MP's Mhow after India's ICC Champions Trophy victory. At least 13 arrests have been made so far.

Clashes broke out during a rally celebrating the Indian team's victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in MP's Mhow on March 9.

Source : PTI

Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Indore invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against two men for their alleged involvement in the communal riots in Mhow during a rally celebrating the Indian cricket team's win in the ICC Champions Trophy final. The police have registered nine FIRs so far against 50 men and arrested 13 accused.

The development came on Tuesday, two days after the clashes broke out in the town on Sunday night after the rally was pelted with stones while it was celebrating the Indian team's win.

"In order to maintain peace and law and order in Indore, Collector and District Magistrate Ashish Singh has taken action under the National Security Act (NSA) against two persons involved in criminal activities," an official release said.

Singh issued the orders on the basis of the report of Superintendent of Police, Indore (Rural) against Sohail Qureshi, a resident of Batkh Mohalla in Mhow, and Ejaz Khan, resident of Kanchan Vihar Khan Colony in the town, under the provisions of NSA, 1980, news agency PTI reported.

Accused Conspired To Spoil Communal Harmony

The statement said that people were taking out a victory procession with the tricolour on motorcycles when the clashes broke out after India won the ICC final. The release said that children and young people were participating in the procession when the accused "conspired to spoil the communal harmony" at the Moti Mahal sqaure. The release also said that perpetrators hurled stones and bricks to obstruct the procession, which injured people and destroyed communal harmony in the area.

The district administration said that both the accused who have been imposed with the NSA were involved in criminal activities. Cases have been registered against them under various charges including abusing people, threatening to kill, causing damage by vandalism, assaulting people, creating communal frenzy, and disrupting public order, the statement noted.

"There is a strong possibility of the public order in the area getting affected by the acts of the accused, and in order to maintain peace and law and order in the district, action has been taken against them under the NSA," it said.

The police had earlier registered seven FIRs based on the complaints of both the groups. Now two more FIRs have been filed and 13 persons have been arrested so far.