Khandwa, March 6 (IANS) Tension erupted at a police station in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh after a controversial post about the Prophet on social media triggered protests. Police have registered a case against 47 people, including 22 named individuals, for allegedly creating a disturbance at the police station premises.

According to officials, the incident began late on Thursday evening after an Instagram post containing derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad went viral. The post, allegedly shared from an account named Prabhakar Shinde, angered several members of the Muslim community. Soon after, a large number of Muslim youths gathered at the Moghat police station, demanding immediate action against the accused.

A complaint in the matter was filed by Mujahid Qureshi, a resident of Singhad Talai. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case against Prabhakar Shinde under Section 299 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and subsequently arrested him.

However, the crowd that had assembled at the police station continued to protest, shouting slogans and staging a sit-in demonstration within the police station premises. Some protesters also demanded strict action against the accused, including the demolition of his house using a bulldozer, alleging that he was a habitual offender in such cases.

Police officials attempted to counsel the protesters and pacify the crowd, but the situation soon escalated, leading to chaos at the police station. Authorities were forced to use mild force to disperse the gathering and restore order.

Upon receiving information about the unrest, additional police teams from Kotwali and Padma Nagar police stations, along with reserve forces, were deployed at the scene. Senior administrative and police officials, including the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), City Superintendent of Police (CSP), Additional District Magistrate (ADM), City Magistrate, and Tehsildar, also reached the spot to bring the situation under control.

Following the incident, police registered a case against 47 individuals, including several Muslim leaders who had come to lodge the protest. Of these, 22 individuals have been named in the FIR, while 25 others remain unidentified.

The accused have been booked under several serious Sections of the IPC, including charges related to obstructing government work, rioting, assaulting government employees, and deliberately blocking roads. The case has been registered under Sections 121(1), 125, 126(2), 132, 190, and 191(3) of the IPC.

Police officials said the situation in the area is currently under control. Further investigation is underway, and authorities are examining CCTV footage to identify others involved in the incident.

–IANS

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