Ujjain Shahi Masjid portion removed; police book 7, detain 15 over unrest
Ujjain police have detained 15 people and registered an FIR against seven, including social media content creators, as a portion of Shahi Masjid is removed for road-widening ahead of Simhastha 2028.
A portion of the historic Shahi Masjid in Ujjain falling within a road-widening alignment is being removed by members of the Muslim community, even as police have intensified action against those accused of fuelling tensions around the site.
Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said the removal was continuing with the consent of the mosque committee. So far, 15 people have been taken into custody and an FIR has been registered against seven, including social media content creators. He said police were monitoring social media continuously and acting against those spreading rumours or posting provocative content.
The investigation is examining social media posts and messages linked to the dispute, along with CCTV footage and drone recordings from the area, to identify those involved in stone-pelting and a subsequent confrontation with police in the early hours of Monday.
City Qazi Khalil Qureshi Rehman, who took part in discussions with the administration, appealed to people to stay away from the site. He said the matter had been resolved through mutual agreement on Sunday night and urged the public not to pay heed to rumours or leave their homes unnecessarily.
Collector Roshan Singh said the removal was being carried out voluntarily and asked people not to respond to rumours. He said people of all religions and communities were cooperating with development works, and that houses, shops and religious places falling within the road-widening scope were being removed voluntarily by their respective owners. He described the removal of the Shahi Masjid portion at Chhatri Chowk as a positive example of cooperation and coordination.
The road-widening work is being undertaken in connection with the upcoming Simhastha 2028 in Ujjain.