10 booked, 2,500 police deployed as Ujjain tense after mosque demolition drive

Police said ten people have been identified and a first information report (FIR) has been registered against them for stone pelting and disturbing peace. Tension prevailed in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Monday morning after a physical altercation occurred between protestors and police personnel during the demolition of a portion of the Shahi Masjid for a road-widening project.Security personnel keep vigil following stone-pelting incidents during protests against the proposed removal of a portion of the 'Shahi Masjid' for road widening, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Monday. (PTI)Police said ten people have been identified and a first information report (FIR) has been registered against them for stone pelting and disturbing peace."Among the ten individuals against whom FIR has been registered following the unrest on Monday morning, five are social media influencers. They are accused of spreading misinformation and disturbing peace," a senior police officer said.According to police, a mob, including women, pelted stones at police teams that had reached the spot to provide security for the demolition drive, leaving half a dozen policemen injured. The injured were given primary treatment.To control the situation, police allegedly fired tear gas shells and resorted to a cane charge to disperse the crowd.Senior officials said the situation was brought under control, but a police force of around 2,500 personnel, including teams from neighbouring districts, has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.Later in the day, women from the Muslim community came out in large numbers and staged a protest at the site, demanding a halt on the demolition drive.According to the district administration, a portion of the mosque measuring about 9 feet in length and 4 feet in width is coming into alignment with the road to be widened for Simhastha.The mosque management claims that the Shahi Masjid is over 100 years old.A hearing in the matter is scheduled for Monday at the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More