Madhya Pradesh: Khargone collector, two other officials transferred a month after communal violence
The superintendent of police and the additional superintendent of police were also transferred from the district.
The Madhya government on Saturday transferred the collector and superintendent of police of Khargone, over a month after the district was hit by communal violence on April 10, PTI reported.
Khargone Collector Anugraha P was transferred to the post of officer on special duty at the Madhya Pradesh Bhawan in New Delhi, a government order said.
Anugraha will be replaced by Kumar Purushottam, who was previously serving as the collector of Ratlam district.
Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary, who was shot in the leg during the communal violence, was transferred to the post of assistant inspector general at the police headquarters in Bhopal, according to PTI.
He will be replaced by Dharmveer Singh, who was serving as the Satna district superintendent of police.
Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chaurasiya was transferred to the police headquarters in Bhopal, Hindustan Times reported. In his place, the government has appointed Manish Khatri as the new additional superintendent of police of Khargone.
The communal violence
On April 10, some people had allegedly hurled stones at a Ram Navami procession in Khargone, objecting to loud and provocative music being played in the Talab Chowk area of Khargone. Subsequently, clashes had broken out in the Gaushala Marg, Tabadi Chowk, Sanjay Nagar and Motipura areas.
At least 24 people, including Choudhary, were injured and another killed in the violence. Ten houses were also burnt.
On April 11, the Madhya Pradesh government demolished homes and shops belonging to Muslims in Khargone. Deputy Inspector General of Police Khargone Range Tilak Singh had claimed that the homes that were demolished belonged to those who had thrown stones during the procession.
A 28-year-old man, who had gone missing during the communal clashes, was declared as the first casualty of the violence by the district administration on April 18.
On May 8, Special Armed Force Commandant Ankit Jaiswal had said that 182 persons have been arrested in 72 cases registered in connection with the violence. The next day, the police said they have arrested three main accused persons in the case were arrested from Ratlam, Bhatwadi, and Indore.