Two days after communal clash, 15 shops demolished in Mumbai suburb’s Haidary Chowk area

On Sunday night, a group passing by in vehicles with saffron flags and chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, was stopped by some local people from another community. An argument broke out, leading to violence.

Officials of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) Tuesday took bulldozers to Haidary Chowk, which is close to the place where the violence erupted Sunday night. “We demolished around 15 structures in the Haidary Chowk area on Tuesday. The action has been taken since the structures were illegal and were encroached upon in the public place,” Deputy Municipal Commissioner Maruti Gaikwad of MBMC told The Indian Express. Officials in the municipal body claimed demolition of illegal structures are carried out regularly.

On Tuesday evening, officials of the MBMC took a bulldozer to Haidary Chowk which is close to the place where the violence had erupted.

Local activists claimed shop owners possessed legal documents, and no notices were served ahead of the demolition. When asked if notices were issued, Gaikwad said as per rules, there is no need to issue notices to demolish structures on footpaths, gutters or other places of civic bodies. “All those were shops, and no house has been touched or razed,” he said.

On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said on social media platform X that he had asked the police to “take strictest action against the culprits” for the violence on Sunday night. The police picked up 13 persons on Monday, and arrested nine; the other four are minors.

The 15 picked up on Tuesday faced charges under Section 307 (attempt to murder), said Madhukar Pandey, Commissioner of Police, Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar.

Police officials said about 13 FIRs have been registered based on complaints from either side in connection with the incidents, at least four of which are from the Muslim side. Additional Commissioner of Police Shrikant Pathak said FIRs filed by the Muslim community members complained of assault and damage of property by an unknown mob. No arrests have been made on these four FIRs. “We are investigating the matter,” he said.

The MBMC officials, meanwhile, claimed that demolition of illegal structures are being carried out on a regular basis.

According to Saad Syed, a social activist in Mira Road, “Close to a dozen structures have been demolished. As far as we know, no notices were served. Even if notices were served, what message is being sent by demolishing structures of a particular community a day after the communal clash. Are illegal structures present only in a particular community’s locality.”

When contacted, Sanjay Katkar, Commissioner, Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation, told The Indian Express, it was routine exercise. “The demolition activity on the illegal structure takes place on regular intervals,” he said.

Azam Khan, a caretaker of one of the plots where structures were partially demolished said, “We have documents to prove the structures are legal. No notices were served. There may be issues with construction outside shops for which the corporation does not give permission. But there are thousands such in and around Mira Road. There are illegal buildings right next to our structure — they were left untouched. What message is the state trying to send by targeting shops owned by Muslims.”

While all partially demolished shops are located in a Muslim majority locality and are owned by Muslims, some had been rented out to Hindu shopkeepers.

“The police just came in with two bulldozers and demolished the entire shed, our belongings were also damaged. Neither we, as tenants, nor the shop owner has received a notice from the MBMC office,” Subramani, who runs a small eatery, said. Another person Raju from Bihar, who runs a vegetable stall, said, “We have lost Rs 3 lakh because all our belongings, including vegetable stocks for a few days, have been fully damaged. There was no prior notice given to us.”

Soon after violence broke out Sunday, BJP leader Nitesh Rane had on Monday morning posted a message on X saying: “Mira Road madde je kaal ratri jhala.. ek yaad rakhna… Chun chun ke marenge !!! Jai Shri Ram (What happened in Mira Road yesterday.. remember one thing… will hit every person involved).” In another post Monday night, he said, “We will meet tomorrow in Mira Road.” He visited the place Tuesday, met victims of Sunday’s incident, and the police commissioner.

Additional security forces from the SRPF and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the region on Tuesday. Security forces also carried out marches at some places.

(With inputs from Vallabh Ozarkar in Mumbai)