Mob pelts stones at Mumbai police to release arrested chain snatcher in Thane village; video goes viral

Preliminary inquiry has revealed that a team from the MIDC police station had gone to Ambivali, a village in Murbad taluka around 6 km from Kalyan, to nab a person wanted in a chain snatching case.

The police team had a scuffle with some associates of the suspect near the Ambivali railway station around 9.30 pm. As they were attacked, the police rushed towards the Ambivali railway station, where they took shelter in a railway office. However, the mob chased them to the railway station and tried to release the arrested accused. More crowds gathered there soon and started pelting stones at the railway office, said a Government Railway Police officer.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. It shows five or six people picking up stones from railway tracks and throwing them at police and railway staff. Women were also seen trying to rescue the nabbed suspect.

A GRP officer said railway properties were damaged in the incident. “Since the incident first started in the city area of Thane police, they are further investigating the matter,” the officer said.

The Railways said in a statement, “The incident had happened after the arrest of a person by MIDC police and [there is] no involvement of the Railways in any way. The [local train] operation was not affected. A few glasses were broken at the station because of the stone pelting.”

The police are examining CCTV footage to identify all the assailants. “We have registered an FIR under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 109, 132, 121, 352, and 351 and as per criminal amendment law against 30-35 unknown stone-pelters and arrested four people. Further investigation is on and we are identifying other suspects,” said Atul Zende, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3, Thane.

In Ambivali village, there have been instances of the local community pelting stones and blocking police vehicles to prevent the arrest of people wanted in criminal cases. The police had also mounted an unsuccessful crackdown in the area in the past.