Mumbai demolition drive: 16 people arrested after violent protests leave 4 policemen injured
The violence broke out as unauthorised huts at Garib Nagar in Bandra were being demolished following a Bombay High Court order permitting the removal of illegal constructions.
Western Railway launched a demolition drive of 400 illegal structures at the Garib Nagar slum located adjacent to the Bandra East Railway station, in Mumbai. (Express photo by Nidhi Jacob)
A day after clashes broke out in Mumbai’s Bandra during the second day of Western Railway’s anti-encroachment drive, officials said on Thursday that 16 people have been arrested, while a manhunt has been launched for those who pelted stones at police and railway personnel, injuring four.
The violence erupted during a demolition drive of unauthorised huts near Gate No 18 at Garib Nagar in Bandra East on Wednesday, following an order by the Bombay High Court permitting the removal of illegal constructions.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Dharmendra Singh Janak Singh lodged a First Information Report (FIR) saying that an eviction operation was being carried out between May 19 and May 23 under heavy police bandobast after notices were issued by the Western Railway.
The demolition started at around 10 am on Wednesday, but at around 4.30 pm, a crowd of nearly 100 to 150 people allegedly gathered at the site, shouting slogans, demanding that the demolition be stopped, as per the FIR. Despite police personnel warning people using loudspeakers not to interrupt them, the crowd allegedly turned aggressive and started pelting stones and cement blocks, the FIR added.
According to the FIR, some people allegedly attempted to attack officers by flinging cement blocks aimed at their heads. Security personnel reportedly used mild force to disperse the crowd, but when the crowd allegedly refused to stop, the police baton-charged the protesters and detained several alleged stone-pelters.
The police said four police personnel were injured in the violence. While Constable Pratik Dagdu Jadhav suffered a fracture in his right thumb, other officers sustained injuries to their wrists and fingers. Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Jitendra Kumar Sajjan Singh also suffered injuries to his nose. Public property was also damaged during the violence, and several civilians present near the demolition site sustained injuries in the stone-pelting. The arrested accused are from Garib Nagar, Behrampada, Dharavi and Andheri, the police said.
A case has been registered under charges of attempted murder, including unlawful assembly, rioting, obstructing government officials from discharging their duties, damaging public property, and assaulting government employees of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against 100 to 115 people.
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Investigation is on, and officials are examining CCTV footage and other evidence to identify individuals involved in the violence.
The Garib Nagar slums
The slums located between Bandra railway station’s south foot-overbridge and Gate No 18 were allegedly constructed illegally. The operation aims to clear around 5,200 sq m of prime railway land, with over 400 unauthorised structures, including multi-storey makeshift homes made of tin sheets and small commercial shops, being demolished.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More
