MP Police Targeted Again: Stone Pelting in Budhar Leaves Three Officers Hurt

Attack on Police in Shahdol: Stone Pelting Injures Three Officers During Raid

Shahdol: After recent attacks on police forces in Mauganj and Damoh, another violent incident has taken place in Budhar, Shahdol, where miscreants pelted stones at three police officers, including a female constable, injuring them. The attack happened in the Irani settlement while the police were searching for an accused involved in a shooting case.

FIR Filed Against 22 People

Based on a complaint by Constable Balbhadra Singh, police have registered an FIR against 22 people, including Firoz Ali Jafri, 11 men, 7 women, and 4 others. According to Shahdol Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramji Srivastava, the Budhar police team was conducting a search operation on the night of March 20 when they tried to arrest Firoz Ali Jafri. However, locals in the Irani settlement demanded his release, and in the ensuing scuffle, officers were injured.

Damage to Police Vehicles

While sources claim two police vehicles were partially damaged, officials have denied any major destruction. Four suspects have already been arrested in connection with the attack.

Threats to Police in the Area

The FIR filed at Budhar Police Station at 3:15 AM on March 20 states that following the attack, locals openly threatened officers, saying: “This is the Irani settlement. If any police officer enters again, they won’t return alive.” The police team, led by Sub-Inspector Uma Shankar Chaturvedi, along with head constable Shankar Prajapati, constables Ashish Tiwari, Krishna Narayan Mishra, Sushil Singh, Sarita Singh, and Shruti Singh, had gone to the area to search for a motorbike linked to an ongoing case. Since the lanes were too narrow for police vehicles, officers proceeded on foot. When they questioned Firoz Ali Jafri about the bike, he became aggressive and started abusing the officers. As the argument escalated, his family members and other residents joined in and started attacking the officers.

Criminal Activities Linked to the Irani Settlement

Police had arrived at the Irani settlement as part of their investigation into a shooting incident in Shahdol’s Keshwahi area, where bike-riding criminals opened fire on gold traders returning from a weekly market 16 days ago.

The same settlement has been under the radar of multiple state police forces:
Maharajganj Police (Uttar Pradesh) had previously raided the area to arrest Yusuf Ali, wanted in a robbery case.
Chhattisgarh Police had also visited while investigating Touhid Ali, an accused in a ₹65 lakh robbery case in Bilaspur.
Suspects from this area are also involved in crimes in Rajasthan.

FIR Filed Against These Accused

The main accused named in the FIR include Firoz Ali Jafri, his daughters Kashish and Sufiya, his sister Farida Begum, along with Gulhasan, Sitara, Nigar Sultana, Reshma, Arfa, Khushruba, Manohar Ali, Fiza Begum, Hussain, Ashrafi, Sabar, Sabir, Khanu Hussain, and four others.

Third Attack on Police in Seven Days

This marks the third attack on police officers in the Mahakoshal-Vindhya region within a week:
1️⃣ March 15 (Mauganj, Shahpura) – Villagers in Gadra killed ASI Ramcharan Gautam and a local man, Sunny Dwivedi, over a dispute.
2️⃣ Damoh Rural Area – During a weapons seizure operation, an accused named Qasim Khan shot an ASI, injuring him. In retaliation, police shot Qasim in the leg.

The police force is now on high alert and has vowed strict action against anyone involved in attacks on officers.