Ujjain Shahi Masjid Row: Heavy Security For Friday Prayers; RAF, STF & CRPF Deployed, 8 Drones Keep Watch | VIDEO

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Security remained tight across Ujjain on Friday, five days after unrest broke out during the removal of the affected portion of the Shahi Masjid. Heavy police deployment was made around the Shahi Masjid and other sensitive areas as Friday prayers were offered peacefully at mosques across the city. Rapid Action Force (RAF), Special Task Force (STF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed, while drones and CCTV cameras were used for surveillance.

Police maintained a particularly strong presence at the spot from where stone-pelting was reported during Monday's unrest. No untoward incident was reported during Friday prayers.

Barricades Around Shahi Masjid

Police erected barricades around 500 metres ahead of the Shahi Masjid and restricted public movement beyond the designated points.

People were also stopped from proceeding towards the mosque from Gudri Chauraha, Kanthal, Khara Kuan police station and the Gabi Hanuman Temple area.

Additional police personnel were deployed in sensitive areas, while checking points were set up to monitor people moving through the locality.

The restrictions were part of heightened security measures introduced following Monday's disturbance.

Roofs of Ujjain damaged during minaret removal

A small portion of Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid was damaged accidentally during the dismantling of one of its four minars as part of the Simhastha 2028 road widening project. Scaffolding had been erected around the 120-foot-tall minar when a part of the structure fell on the mosque, causing minor damage to its outer area.

No casualties or injuries were reported and all workers were safe. Ujjain Collector Raushan Kumar Singh released a video clarifying that the incident was accidental and appealed to residents and social media users not to believe communal or hate-mongering rumours circulating online.

Three Companies Deployed

Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma said three companies comprising RAF, STF and CRPF personnel had been deployed as part of the security arrangements.

Additional forces were stationed at different locations for crowd management, surveillance of sensitive areas and to respond to any emergency.

Police were also monitoring the city with eight drones and around 100 CCTV cameras.