Bhopal, Aug 21 - Despite imposing a ban on a ritual in which people hurl stones at each other, the authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district were unable to stop people from throwing stones during the annual Gotmaar Mela that leaves hundreds injured.

The administration had banned the ritual following directives of the state human rights commission and offered the participants its full support in holding any other cultural and religious event.

Last year the ritual claimed a man's life and left over 400 injured.

Describing the tradition of stone throwing as 'inhuman and criminal', the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) had directed the district administration not to allow it henceforth.

The district administration has put in place heavy security to prevent the ritual but the situation slipped out of control soon after the fair started Friday morning.