Fight between two groups of different religions in Mumbai, 25 vehicles damaged

An officer from Mankhurd police station said that around 10.30pm, eight persons on four bikes passed the area after visiting a Ram Navami function in nearby Chembur.

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“As they were passing by a mosque, they started chanting slogans of Jai Sri Ram. Following this, some outside the mosque asked them to stop raising slogans at that spot as prayers were ongoing at the mosque,” inspector R Surve said.

This led to an argument between the two sides which escalated into a fight. One person on the bike was roughed up by the crowd outside the mosque, an officer said. The eight then left and returned within 20 minutes accompanied by a crowd of over 25 persons armed with rods and sticks.

“Since they could not find the crowd of people with whom they fought, they started destroying bikes, cars and autorickshaws that were present at the spot. The vehicles belonged to locals belonging to both communities,” the officer said. Later the police team reached and forced the crowd to disperse.

Later the local Mankhurd police registered two FIRs in the case. An officer said that one FIR pertained to the incident in which a biker was roughed up outside the mosque in which four persons were arrested. The second FIR was against the crowd of 25 persons who came later and damaged vehicles at the spot.

“Based on the CCTV footage that went viral of the vandalism, we have arrested five persons including one BJP party worker and one associated with Bajrang dal. We are on the lookout for more accused in the two cases,” an office from Mankhurd police station added.

Responding to the incident, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said that action will be taken against those trying to give the incident a communal colour. He urged people of all communities to maintain peace and harmony, and help the police in upholding law and order in the state. He said that members of some political parties have been giving “provocative” statements, which could increase enmity between Hindus and Muslims.

The home minister said, “Appropriate legal action will be taken against those who instigate communal tensions in the state. Please cooperate with us to maintain communal harmony in Maharashtra.”