Mumbai Police have arrested 16 people and detained two others following violence and stone-pelting during an anti-encroachment drive in the Garib Nagar area near Bandra railway station, even as the Western Railway on Thursday said nearly 85 per cent of the targeted illegal structures had been demolished.
The clashes erupted on Wednesday during a demolition operation conducted near Bandra railway station (East), where police personnel and railway authorities were engaged in clearing unauthorised constructions from railway land.
According to police officials, stones and paver blocks were allegedly hurled at security personnel during the operation, with the violence continuing for nearly an hour before the situation was brought under control.
Five police personnel sustained serious injuries in the incident, including one officer who suffered a fractured hand and another who sustained a broken nose. Ten others received minor injuries.
Police Continue Investigation
Mumbai Police said interrogation of the accused was underway and further legal action would follow.
“Regarding the incident of stone-pelting that occurred in Garib Nagar, located in the Bandra area of Mumbai: So far, the police have arrested a total of 16 individuals in connection with this case and have taken two people into custody. Of the two individuals currently in custody, one is the very person who allegedly attacked police personnel by throwing stones at them during the violence. The interrogation process is currently underway, and following the completion of necessary legal formalities, this individual will be formally arrested shortly,” the police said in a statement.
Officials said investigators were also scanning CCTV footage from the locality to identify and apprehend nearly 150 additional suspects allegedly involved in the violence.
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Fadnavis Says Situation Under Control
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the police had managed to restore complete control over the situation.
“Some miscreants pelted stones on the police force while the demolition drive was underway. The police have gained total control over the situation. Police have also arrested those who were responsible for inciting violence,” Fadnavis told reporters.
Police had resorted to a lathi-charge on Wednesday to disperse the crowd and restore normalcy in the area.
Western Railway Pushes Ahead With Demolition
Meanwhile, the Western Railway said the demolition drive entered its third day on Thursday and continued peacefully despite the earlier unrest.
Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said about 85 per cent of nearly 500 illegal structures in Garib Nagar had already been removed.
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Authorities deployed around 13 machines and several dumpers for the operation. Officials said larger permanent structures had been demolished earlier, while temporary and smaller structures were now being dismantled manually.
Around 1,200 personnel, including security staff, remained deployed at the site. Railway authorities said nearly 80 metric tonnes of debris had been removed over the past two days with the help of 40 vehicles.
The cleared land would be fenced immediately after the demolition process to prevent fresh encroachments, officials added.
The demolition drive began on May 19 following directions from the Bombay High Court and forms part of railway infrastructure expansion and redevelopment plans in the area. The Rail Land Development Authority had recently auctioned nearby land parcels to private developers for modernisation projects.