Hindu organizations recited Hanuman Chalisa outside Sihora Police Station, demanding immediate arrests after youth disrupted Durga temple aarti, vandalized grills, abused women devotees, and launched stone pelting from mosque rooftops, injuring locals.
Protesters highlighted pre-positioned stones, sticks, and swords discovered within mosque premises, suggesting premeditated assault disrupting Jabalpur’s communal peace during routine evening worship, marking the first such violence in the area’s history.
SP Sampat Upadhyay confirmed 20-49 arrests following Azad Chowk clashes originating from a children’s dispute escalating into mob violence necessitating tear gas shells from multiple stations, restoring order through CCTV analysis and reinforcements.
Demonstrators rejected police narrative framing the temple attack as a spontaneous altercation, insisting coordinated assault targeting worshippers requires leadership identification, preventing recurrence during vulnerable ritual timings central to community life.
Locals condemned the delayed response, allowing armed attackers an initial advantage, questioning intelligence failures permitting weapons stockpiling inside religious sites, threatening Madhya Pradesh’s hard-earned harmony post-decade relative calm.
Jabalpur authorities arrested dozens after Sihora Durga temple vandalism during aarti triggered retaliatory stone pelting, with Hindus protesting mosque weapons cache demanding swift justice, preserving communal stability.
