On 10 April 2022 a Ram Navami procession in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, ended in stone-pelting and arson. About 24 people were hurt, among them the district police chief, who was shot in the leg, and a municipal worker, Ibris Khan, was killed. The next day the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government demolished 16 houses and 29 shops of people it said were rioters on encroached land. A curfew lasted 24 days. In July 2026 a sessions court acquitted all 11 accused in one of the riot cases.
Key takeaways
- Stone-pelting and arson broke out during a Ram Navami procession near Talab Chowk in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, on 10 April 2022, and spread to several neighbourhoods.
- About 24 people were injured in the Khargone violence. Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary was hit by a bullet in the leg, and municipal worker Ibris Khan was killed, according to police.
- Khargone city was under curfew for 24 days, from 10 April to 4 May 2022. Police reported 64 to 72 FIRs and 182 arrests by 12 May 2022.
- On 11 April 2022, after Home Minister Narottam Mishra said houses used for stone-pelting would be turned into heaps of stones, the Khargone administration demolished 16 houses and 29 shops. Officials said the structures were illegal encroachments owned by accused rioters.
- Owners and a PUCL report said the demolished Khargone properties belonged to Muslims, were razed without notice, and included a house built under PMAY and the shop of a man with no arms.
- The Madhya Pradesh government set up a claims tribunal under its 2021 recovery law to make rioters pay for the damage. People fined in its October 2022 orders accused it of bias.
- In November 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that homes cannot be demolished as punishment, and in July 2026 a Khargone court acquitted 11 accused for lack of evidence. More than 20 other cases were still pending.
Background
Khargone, a district town in western Madhya Pradesh, was one of several places where Ram Navami processions turned violent on 10 April 2022. Others included Barwani district and places in Gujarat, Jharkhand and West Bengal The Quint.
Months earlier, in December 2021, Madhya Pradesh passed a law to recover damages to public and private property from people who cause it in riots and protests. It came into force on 5 January 2022 and lets tribunals recover up to twice the cost of the damage LiveLaw. When the bill passed, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said it was brought "so that anti-social elements and those causing riots will now fear the law" The Wire.
What happened on 10 April
Accounts of how it started differ. The Quint's sources said some people objected to music played in the procession, and the dispute turned into stone-pelting The Quint. Scroll said stones were allegedly thrown at the procession at Talab Chowk over "loud and provocative music", and clashes spread to Gaushala Marg, Tabadi Chowk, Sanjay Nagar and Motipura Scroll. PARI later reported that a rumour that police had stopped the procession drew a mob, which met people leaving a mosque PARI.
Stones and arson
Stone-pelting, arson and vandalism of vehicles were reported from the Talab Chowk and Tavdi areas. Police used tear gas The Quint. Ten houses were burnt Scroll.
SP shot
SP Siddharth Choudhary was first reported hit by a stone on the foot The Quint. Police later said he had a bullet injury in the leg PTI via Deccan Herald.
Injuries and the death of Ibris Khan
The Quint and Scroll put the injured at 24, including the SP The Quint Scroll. A 2026 PTI report says six of the 24 were police personnel PTI via ThePrint. The SP and two civilians had bullet wounds, The Quint reported The Quint.
On 22 April police arrested Mohsin alias Waseem for firing at the SP Scroll/PTI.
Ibris Khan (also spelt Ibresh or Ibraish), 28 or 30, was a municipal sanitation worker. Police said his body was found in Anand Nagar on 11 April and kept unidentified in an Indore hospital for eight days. His family, who had reported him missing on 14 April, identified him PTI via Tribune.
On 21 April police arrested five men from Anand Nagar and Rahimpura for the killing and said three more were absconding. In-charge SP Rohit Kashwani said, "Prima facie, the cause of the murder is religious frenzy" PTI via Tribune. Claim · Family His brother said he was last seen in police custody on 10 April and accused police of complicity The Quint. Claim · Unnamed sources Madhyamam quoted unnamed sources as saying he had thrown petrol bombs before he was chased and attacked Madhyamam. No verdict in the murder case was found in the reporting reviewed.
Curfew, FIRs and arrests
From 14 April the curfew was relaxed for a few hours a day Outlook/PTI. A full curfew was kept for Eid and Akshaya Tritiya on 2 and 3 May Tribune/PTI. It was lifted on 4 May ANI via Dynamite News. On 11 May Section 144 was reimposed until 10 July, a day after Muslim women protested at the SP's office alleging police were arresting men and children without verification IANS via Deccan Herald.
Arrest figures rose from 77 on 11 April, per Mishra The Quint, to 175 with 64 FIRs by 23 April, per the in-charge SP PTI via Deccan Herald, and 182 in 72 cases by 12 May IANS via Deccan Herald.
The demolitions
On the morning of 11 April Mishra said at a press conference, "jis ghar se patthar aaye hain us ghar ko pattharon ka hi dher banayenge", which The Quint translated as a pledge to turn houses involved in stone-pelting into piles of stones. Within hours the district administration began razing buildings The Quint.
Counts of what was razed differ:
- 16 houses and 29 shops across four or five localities, per The Quint and IANS The Quint IANS via Deccan Herald.
- 45 properties, according to Indore Divisional Commissioner Pawan Sharma as quoted by The Hindu, and 50 according to the Times of India, both as cited by The Wire The Wire.
- Nearly 50 structures, all owned by Muslims, according to a PUCL report PARI.
Government's position SDM Milind Dhoke said the buildings belonged to people arrested for the violence and were "illegal structures constructed on encroached land". Collector P Anugrah said the drive followed due legal process BOOM. Commissioner Sharma said 84 people had been arrested and "their properties, illegal encroachments are being demolished" The Quint. He also said the aim was to "instil fear of financial losses among the accused" The Wire. Chouhan said: "Rioters won't be spared. Strict action will be taken. They will not only be sent to jails but also made to pay" The Quint/ANI.
Mishra later told reporters the demolitions came "only after it was established that the property was illegal", and denied that Muslims were targeted, according to NDTV as cited by SabrangIndia. The same report quotes him blaming Muslims for the violence SabrangIndia. The district PR office posted that the demolitions punished accused stone-pelters BOOM.
A local VHP leader called the drive too weak, saying it only hit buildings already listed as encroachments, and said 17 Hindu houses were burnt The Quint.
Claims that uninvolved people lost property
- Claim · Owner's family Hasina Fakhroo's house in Khaskhaswadi was built with Rs 2.5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The administration said it was on government land; her son said no one objected when it was approved IANS via Deccan Herald. The SDM later promised rehabilitation; the family refused the place offered The Quint.
- Claim · Owner Wasim Ahmed, whose arms were amputated in 2005, said his shop in Chandni Chowk was razed although he had "nothing to do with the incident" PARI.
- Claim · Owner Mohammad Rafique said three shops of his with legal papers were razed without a chance to show documents PARI.
- Claim · Family, via NDTV In neighbouring Barwani district, police named three men in a Ram Navami arson FIR who had been in jail since March. The mother of one of them, Shabaz, said her home was demolished without notice. Police said they would check with the jail Scroll.
The claims tribunal
The tribunal was headed by retired district judge Shivkumar Mishra, with retired state secretary Prabhat Parashar. The notification gave it three months to assess the damage and recover it from rioters Outlook/PTI.
On 14 October 2022 it ordered Rs 7.37 lakh from 50 accused in six judgments, Maktoob reported. Claim · Defence lawyer A lawyer for some of them said photos submitted as evidence showed no damage Maktoob. A notice for Rs 2.9 lakh was issued to a 12-year-old boy on a neighbour's complaint, and his father was asked to pay Rs 4.8 lakh. The family says they were asleep. On 12 September 2022 the High Court's Indore bench declined to quash the notice and told the family to take its objections to the tribunal The Wire ummid/IANS. No later report of the total actually recovered was found.
Court challenges
- Fareeda Bee: Her husband was an accused. The petition was closed on 21 April 2022 after the state promised the High Court her house would not be razed without due process The Leaflet/PTI.
- Zahid Ali: The Indore bench sought the state's reply on a plea for compensation and a judicial probe, and ordered status quo on his property ummid/IANS Bar and Bench.
- Pending writ: A Khargone resident's petition alleging his property was razed because he is Muslim was issued notice in April 2022 LiveLaw. LiveLaw reported in July 2026 that it was still pending LiveLaw.
- Supreme Court: In Raziya Mansoori v Union of India, petitioners sought a court-monitored SIT and compensation, saying their homes were razed without notice LiveLaw. No ruling on that plea was found.
Both accounts
Muslim residents' and rights groups' account
Residents said they got no notice or time to save belongings. The PUCL said both communities suffered in the riot but only Muslim-owned buildings were razed PARI. A man whose house rioters burnt said, "Two days later, the administration did the same thing the rioters did" PARI. Lawyers told reporters there is no law allowing demolition as a punishment BOOM.
Police and government account
The state says the procession was attacked, a police chief was shot and rioters were identified from video. It says only illegal encroachments owned by accused people were razed, and that rioters must pay for damage through the tribunal The Quint PTI via Swarajya. BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who was at the procession, called the attack "pre-planned" The Quint.
The Supreme Court's 2024 ruling
On 13 November 2024 a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan ruled that authorities cannot demolish property as punishment for an alleged crime. It required a 15-day show cause notice, a personal hearing and a reasoned order before any demolition. Officials who break the rules face contempt and personal liability. The rules do not cover encroachments on roads, railway land or water bodies, or court-ordered demolitions The News Minute PTI via Deccan Herald. It came two and a half years after the Khargone demolitions.
Outcome
- Deaths and injuries: One killed, about 24 injured including the SP.
- Curfew: 24 days, then Section 144 to 10 July 2022.
- Verdict: 11 acquitted on 27 July 2026; no conviction reported.
Where things stand in 2026
On 27 July 2026 Fourth Additional Sessions Judge Mukesh Nath acquitted 11 men accused of stoning and burning houses in the Bhatwadi neighbourhood PTI via ThePrint. Eight of 13 prosecution witnesses did not identify the accused. The key eyewitness's statement was recorded 51 days after the event and no identification parade was held. The forensic report found no petroleum residue in support of the petrol-bomb charge. The men had spent between 462 and 827 days in custody LiveLaw. The FIR first named six people; five were added later without explanation ThePrint.
A government official said more than 20 other Ram Navami cases were pending in district courts PTI via ThePrint. A September 2026 opinion piece in The Quint said there had been no conviction yet. Citing police sources, it said about 60 accused were untraced and the state was reviewing the verdict with a view to appealing The Quint. In August 2026 the Congress demanded compensation for people whose homes were razed and accountability for the officials involved PTI via Deccan Herald.
Questions people ask
What happened in Khargone on Ram Navami 2022?
On 10 April 2022 a Ram Navami procession in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, ended in stone-pelting and arson. About 24 people were injured, including SP Siddharth Choudhary, who was shot in the leg, and one man, Ibris Khan, was killed.
How long was the curfew in Khargone?
24 days. It began on 10 April and was lifted on 4 May 2022, with daily relaxations from 14 April. Section 144 was reimposed from 11 May to 10 July.
How many houses were bulldozed in Khargone?
Most reports say 16 houses and 29 shops on 11 April 2022. Officials and other outlets gave figures of 45 to 50 structures, and a PUCL report said nearly 50, all owned by Muslims.
Why did the government demolish the buildings?
Officials said the buildings were illegal encroachments on public land owned by accused rioters. Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said houses used for stone-pelting would be turned to rubble. Critics said no notice was given and the drive was a punishment.
Who was Ibris Khan?
He was a Khargone municipal worker killed on the night of 10 April 2022. Police arrested five men and blamed "religious frenzy". His family alleged he was last seen in police custody.
Was anyone convicted for the Khargone violence?
No conviction was reported up to October 2026. On 27 July 2026 a sessions court acquitted 11 accused in one case for lack of reliable evidence, and more than 20 cases were still pending.
Is bulldozer demolition of accused people's homes legal now?
No. In November 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that property cannot be demolished as punishment. Demolitions now need at least 15 days' notice, a hearing and a reasoned order, except on public land or by court order.
Sources
- The Quint: 77 arrested after stone pelting and arson in MP's Khargone, 11 Apr 2022
- The Quint: MP govt razes 16 houses, 29 shops after Ram Navami violence, 12 Apr 2022
- The Wire: With Khargone, Shivraj Singh Chouhan drives home dream of 'bulldozer justice', 12 Apr 2022
- BOOM: Why Khargone structures were demolished and whether it was legal, Apr 2022
- SabrangIndia: MP Home Minister blames Muslims for Ram Navami violence, justifies demolitions, Apr 2022
- Outlook/PTI: MP govt sets up tribunal to recover damages from rioters, 13 Apr 2022
- IANS via Deccan Herald: Among houses bulldozed in Khargone, one was built under PMAY, 13 Apr 2022
- Scroll: Three jailed men named in FIR for Ram Navami violence, 15 Apr 2022
- The Quint: MP govt to rehabilitate family after demolishing PMAY house, 18 Apr 2022
- Outlook/PTI: Curfew relaxed for 6 hours for first time in Khargone, 20 Apr 2022
- PTI via Swarajya: Man who fired at Khargone SP identified, says Home Minister, 20 Apr 2022
- PTI via Tribune: 5 held for killing man during Khargone violence, 22 Apr 2022
- The Quint: Five arrested for murder during Ram Navami clashes in Khargone, 22 Apr 2022
- Madhyamam: Police arrest five for man's murder during Ram Navami violence, Apr 2022
- The Leaflet/PTI: Khargone accused's encroachment won't be razed without due process, state tells HC, 22 Apr 2022
- Scroll: Man arrested for allegedly firing at police officer, 23 Apr 2022
- PTI via Deccan Herald: 64 FIRs, 175 people held so far, 24 Apr 2022
- LiveLaw: MP High Court issues notice on Khargone resident's plea, 29 Apr 2022
- LiveLaw: Plea in Supreme Court seeks court-monitored SIT on Khargone demolitions, 30 Apr 2022
- Tribune/PTI: No curfew relaxation in Khargone on Eid, Akshaya Tritiya, 1 May 2022
- Dynamite News/ANI: Curfew lifted in Khargone after 24 days, 5 May 2022
- IANS via Deccan Herald: Section 144 back in riot-hit Khargone, 12 May 2022
- ummid/IANS: HC asks MP govt to reply on Khargone demolition compensation, 14 Jun 2022
- Bar and Bench: MP High Court seeks state's response on plea for judicial probe, 14 Jun 2022
- ummid/IANS: 12-year-old boy handed Rs 2.9 lakh recovery notice, 19 Oct 2022
- The Wire: Family of boy penalised Rs 2.9 lakh over Khargone clashes, 20 Oct 2022
- Maktoob: Muslims fined by Claims Tribunal accuse bias, 23 Oct 2022
- PARI: In MP, bulldozer injustice, 16 Nov 2023
- The News Minute: SC sets pan-India guidelines for demolition of property, 13 Nov 2024
- PTI via Deccan Herald: SC lays down guidelines, no demolition without 15 days' notice, 13 Nov 2024
- LiveLaw: MP court acquits 11 accused of communal violence in Khargone, 28 Jul 2026
- PTI via ThePrint: Court acquits 11 accused of Ram Navami violence in Khargone, 29 Jul 2026
- ThePrint: Why an MP court released all 11 accused despite 13 witnesses, 29 Jul 2026
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Congress slams BJP over bulldozer action, 4 Aug 2026
- The Quint (opinion): 2022 Khargone Ram Navami violence: no convictions, 3 Sep 2026