Sihora calm after communal flare-up, 61 arrested so far

Jabalpur: Two days after communal clashes rocked Sihora in Jabalpur district, an uneasy calm prevailed on Saturday even as police arrested 12 more people, taking the total arrests to 61. Markets reopened, but footfall remained low amid heavy police deployment. "Situation is under control. Security has been kept tight to tackle any fresh flare-up," said officials.The violence erupted late Thursday near Azad Chowk, where a Durga temple and a mosque face each other. Tension escalated after a temple grill was damaged during aarti, triggering stone-pelting and clashes between the two communities. Shops and vehicles along the road were vandalised, with some people reportedly armed with sticks, rods, and stones.Police responded with a lathi-charge and fired 8–10 rounds of tear gas shells. On Friday, the area remained under strict security, with barricades, intensified foot patrols, and drone surveillance, particularly around sensitive lanes and near the mosque during Friday prayers.Senior district officials monitored the situation through the night. Right-wing organisations also held protests demanding strict action, during one of which a shop was reportedly damaged.ASP Suryakant Sharma said 49 people were arrested and 12 more arrests made on Saturday evening. so far in connection with the clashes. He added that separate FIRs were registered over stone-pelting and vandalism at the temple, damage to the mosque, forcible entry into a woman's house and violence during a protest rally. "The situation is fully under control, but additional police forces will remain deployed to maintain law and order," he said.