Tension gripped Sihora town in Madhya Pradesh`s Jabalpur district as members of two communities clashed. As reported by news agency PTI, the two groups indulged in stone-pelting and damaged shops and vehicles in the area. The ruckus in Sihora forced the police to fire several teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
Jabalpur: Tension flared in Sihora following a Communal dispute, prompting heavy police deployment. Members of a Hindu group allegedly vandalised shops during a protest, after which police used force to disperse crowds. A Muslim group also gathered nearby but was pushed back.… pic.twitter.com/WQoDlwugJ9
— IANS (@ians_india) February 20, 2026
The police official, while briefing about the clash, said, “The incident occurred in the Azad Chowk area of the town on Thursday night, after which a heavy police force was deployed there,” as cited by PTI.
Eyewitnesses said that a temple of Goddess Durga and a mosque are located close to each other in the Azad Chowk area. When `aarti` was underway at the temple, members of both communities clashed over the damaged safety grill of the temple, reported PTI.
They further added that the altercation soon escalated into a violent confrontation. Both sides began pelting each other with stones. They also vandalised shops and vehicles parked on the road.
The police official further said that they initially used mild force, but when there were no signs of the clash to stop, they fired teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
Senior police officials as well as those from the administration later visited the spot to take stock of the situation, he said.
The situation in Sihora is now under control
District Collector Raghavendra Singh said the situation is completely under control now. Also, Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay said, “Members of two communities clashed and indulged in vandalism. In order to bring the situation under control, the police had to fire eight to ten teargas shells.”
Additional SP Jabalpur Suryakant Sharma, while talking to the media on Friday, said that “Whoever takes the law into their own hands will not be spared; everyone will be made to face action. ” If someone starts overturning a cart, we will stop them using force and drive them away so that peace is maintained,” as cited by IANS.
While the situation now seems under control, the police authorities across the district remain vigilant to make sure that law and order are peacefully maintained across the city.
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: Additional SP Suryakant Sharma says, “Whoever takes the law into their own hands will not be spared, everyone will be made to face action. Someone starts overturning a cart, we will stop them using force and drive them away so that peace is… pic.twitter.com/UAe6XXSqjR
— IANS (@ians_india) February 20, 2026
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)