MP: Clash during Dussehra procession in Jabalpur leaves youth stabbed, cop injured; two held

A clash during Jabalpur’s Garha Dussehra procession left youth Anurag Pandey stabbed and Sub-Inspector Sanjay Gurjar injured while intervening. Police detained two accused, citing old enmity as the suspected motive, and initiated an investigation under relevant BNS provisions

Jabalpur: A clash between two groups during the Garha Dussehra procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur early Thursday left a youth stabbed and a police sub-inspector injured while attempting to intervene, police said. The incident occurred during early morning near Tripuri Chowk when the procession was in its final stages, with around three idols remaining to be immersed. The police team accompanying the procession received information about the clash and immediately rushed to the spot.

CSP Ashish Jain said Sub-Inspector Sanjay Gurjar and his team reached the scene, around 50 feet to the right of Tripuri Chowk, and intervened to separate the two groups. During the intervention, police found Anurag Pandey, a resident of Shanti Nagar under Sanjeevani Nagar police station limits, injured in a stabbing attack. Gurjar also sustained a facial injury while trying to bring the situation under control.

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“Sub-Inspector Sanjay received information about a fight between two groups around 5 a.m. He was accompanying the procession with his team, and they immediately rushed to the spot,” Jain said.

Pandey was taken to the Medical Hospital for treatment. Police subsequently detained two accused, identified as Akash Jharia and an associate, and began questioning them in connection with the attack. “Anurag Pandey was stabbed and injured, allegedly by Akash Jharia and another associate. He was immediately taken to Medical Hospital for treatment. Both accused have been taken into custody and are being questioned,” Jain said.

According to the preliminary investigation, the clash stemmed from an old enmity between the parties dating back two to three months. Police also said that one of the accused, identified as Akash Costa in the initial account, has a criminal record, with cases related to assault and alleged violations of the Arms Act registered against him at different police stations.

A case is being registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are questioning the detained accused and investigating the circumstances that led to the clash, and the respective roles of those involved.