On January 5, after a brawl Bunty Upadhyaya, under the influence of alcohol, had attacked Shaukat Ali, a resident near Kodia Hanuman temple in Khandwa, with a beer bottle. As per Indian Express, Shaukat's wife Akeela Bi alleged that Bunty had asked them to vacate the house as "they did not want any Muslims residing in the area". After a complaint by Shaukat Ali, Upadhyaya was arrested by the police and sent to jail. Express added, "Shaukat and his family were allegedly asked to stay away from the village owing to which they shifted to Indore." Bunty got out on bail Fifteen days later; then, he allegedly set three houses on fire along with Shaukat's. He also reportedly attacked Shaukat's sister Kamroon Bi with a rubber pipe. After returning to Khandwa from Indore, Shaukat's wife registered a complaint at the Khandwa Kotwali police station. Three FIRs have been registered against Bunty under section 436 for setting three houses on fire and sections 294, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code for beating up Shaukat's sister while she was sitting outside the house. Superintendent of Police for Khandwa district, Vivek Singh, told The Indian Express, "We have not only taken cognisance of the matter, but are also treating it with utmost seriousness. We are trying to find out whether Bunty had been constantly targeting this family. We have also formed a team to arrest him as he is currently absconding."