MP: Youth killed over social networking post; curfew clamped

Curfew was imposed early Thursday in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh after communal tension spread in the town over a post on a social networking site that allegedly hurt the feelings of a particular community and also led to the killing of a person, a police official said.

Trouble began on Wednesday evening when an objectionable post was uploaded on the social networking site that flared up communal tension in the town, Khandwa's Superintendent of Police Manoj Sharma said.

Enraged over the post, a group of unidentified persons allegedly stabbed to death a 30-year-old youth following which tension gripped the town, leading to clashes between two groups.

Police fired 10 rounds of teargas shells in Mohghat police station area and opened fire in the air thrice in Kotwali area to control the violent mob, the SP said.

Two persons, including a police constable, were injured in the violence, police said.

Later in the evening, police imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 in the town to control the situation and imposed indefinite curfew at around 4 am on Thursday, he said.

Division Commissioner Sanjay Dube and Inspector General Vipin Maheshwari reached the town from Indore on Wednesday evening to monitor the situation.

A case of murder was registered against unidentified persons in Mohghat police station, the SP said adding that additional force has been called for deployment in the sensitive area.

The situation is under control at present, he added.