Madhya Pradesh: First death reported in Khargone violence

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Eight days after communal clashes broke out in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, the first death was reported.

The body of a person identified as Ibarish Khan, who was reported missing since April 10, was found in Indore's MY hospital morgue.

The family of the deceased identified the body at the morgue, which is around 120 km from Khargone. The family alleged that the police tried to hide the death. The family claimed that the deceased had been missing since the day violence erupted in Khargone. A missing complaint was also lodged at the police station, family claimed.

According to the local police, Ibarish Khan was murdered by seven-eight men on the night of the clashes. "An unidentified body was found a day after communal violence in the Anand Nagar area of Khargone had occurred," senior Khargone police officer Rohit Kashwani told reporters on Monday.

He added that Khan died of a head injury and his body was identified by his family on Sunday night. Khan's body was kept in a freezer at Indore's MY Hospital. His family was taken to the hospital on Sunday night and that was when the body was identified as that of the missing man.

The body was handed over to the family and brought to Khargone early Monday, police said. Ibarish Khan was a local municipality employee in Khargone and leaves behind a wife and a young son.

Deceased's family alleged that he was killed by the police and local residents when he had gone to a mosque to arrange food for iftar. The family also claimed that Ibarish Khan was last seen in police custody at Khargone police station on April 10 evening.

"The people in Anand Nagar attacked my brother with weapons and crushed his head with a stone," said the deceased's brother Iqhlak Khan.

According to him, the police finally told him about Ibarish Khan's death only after he threatened to go to the media. "A policeman came to me on Sunday night and told me that Ibarish's body is kept in Indore," he said.

The condition of the body indicated a brutal attack, Iqhlak said. "His one eye was damaged, there were cuts on his face and legs," he added.

On April 10, communal violence erupted in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone during the Ram Navami celebrations. Stones were hurled at the procession, triggering incidents of arson wherein some vehicles were set on fire, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in three areas and section 144 of CrPC in the entire city. Police fired tear gas shells to control the situation.

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