Communal tension erupts in MP's Mhow after India's Champions Trophy victory

Bhopal: Moments after Rohit Sharma and his team secured a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, celebrations took a chaotic turn in Mhow, near Indore, Madhya Pradesh, late Sunday night.

The joyous atmosphere soon gave way to tension between two communities as stone-pelting erupted, disrupting the festivities.

The incident occurred around 10.30 p.m. on Sunday, when a procession in the Jama Masjid area sparked a dispute over firecrackers. This quickly escalated into a confrontation, with stone-pelting spreading to several areas.

The situation spiralled out of control when two opposing groups faced off, further intensifying the chaos. Numerous videos have emerged showing individuals from a specific community targeting jubilant cricket fans with stones. In response to the incident, a heavy police presence has been deployed to prevent further unrest.

Additional security forces have been called in to maintain control, a senior police officer said.

Even with the police present, the stone-pelting persisted, reports said, and some individuals brandished weapons.

Anger boiled over, leading to the torching of shops and vehicles by miscreants. The violence was exacerbated by the use of petrol bombs, video footage, and reports revealed. To quell the unrest, the police resorted to using mild force through lathi charges and fired tear gas shells. The violence left two houses, four shops, and a “magic” vehicle damaged. Over a dozen vehicles were set ablaze and vandalized, unconfirmed reports said.

However, the police took over and brought the situation under control. The full extent of the damage will be determined after further investigation.