Human rights watchdog Amnesty International India on Thursday called upon authorities to stop the demolition of homes and shops belonging to Muslims in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city.

A demolition drive was carried out in Khargone earlier this week, a day after violence broke out in the city during a procession on the occasion of Hindu festival Ram Navami. Homes and shops belonging to Muslims had been razed. The police had claimed that the homes that were demolished belonged to those who had thrown stones at the procession.

However, Khargone Collector Anugraha P had told Scroll.in that the demolition process is part of the state government’s anti-encroachment drive.

In a statement released on Thursday, Amnesty International India Chair Aakar Patel said that the demolition of private property of people suspected of rioting allegedly without the due process was “a major blow to the rule of law”.

“The majority of demolished properties are owned by Muslims,” Patel said. “Such punitive demolition of family homes of suspects could also amount to collective punishment, in violation of international human rights law.”

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Patel further urged authorities to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the demolition and ensure that those “responsible for fanning violence” are punished through fair trials.

“Victims must be provided with effective remedy,” he said. “It is the duty of the state to protect all people within its jurisdiction, including minority communities.”

On March 12, the Madhya Pradesh government had set up a two-member claims tribunal to assess the damage in the communal violence during Ram Navami celebrations in Khargone. At least 24 people, including Khargone Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary, were injured in the violence. Ten houses were also burnt during the clashes.