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- Mumbai: Violence during demolition of mosque on encroached land in Bandra, several cops hurt in stone pelting
Mumbai: Violence during demolition of mosque on encroached land in Bandra, several cops hurt in stone pelting
Authorities in Mumbai's Bandra are carrying out demolitions against structures built on encroached Railway land. During the bulldozer action, stones were pelted at police personnel by some miscreants.
Chaos erupted in Mumbai’s Bandra area on Wednesday during a demolition drive against an alleged illegal mosque built on railway land, after a group of protesters clashed with police and resorted to stone pelting. Several police personnel were injured in the violence, prompting authorities to use batons to disperse the crowd.
According to officials, the anti-encroachment action was being carried out when around 50 to 60 people gathered at the site and began opposing the demolition. Police claimed that despite repeated attempts to calm the crowd, some individuals started throwing stones at security personnel.
Crackdown on stone pelters
Authorities said over 1,000 police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order. Police have launched a crackdown to identify and detain those involved in the violence. Officials stated that several suspects have already been identified through facial recognition and local intelligence inputs.
Investigators also recovered a large number of stones and footwear from the spot, which police believe indicates that the mob came prepared for confrontation.
Police teams are now conducting searches in nearby localities and are reportedly identifying and arresting accused individuals from house to house. Officials said the situation is currently under control, though security deployment in the area remains heavy as a precautionary measure.
What's happening in Bandra?
The Western Railway on Tuesday launched a massive anti-encroachment drive near Bandra railway station, clearing nearly 18 per cent of around 500 illegal huts following directions from the Bombay High Court.
The five-day operation aims to free nearly 5,300 square metres of railway land to restore the safety zone and support future capacity expansion projects, officials said.
According to railway authorities, the cleared land will be used for the development of an integrated complex at Bandra Terminus, one of Mumbai’s busiest railway stations. The proposed project includes elevated roads, multi-storey buildings, additional platforms and maintenance facilities.
Officials said the demolition drive is being carried out jointly by the railway administration, civil authorities, police and railway security agencies to ensure smooth execution and maintain law and order during the operation.