Anti-encroachment drive in Mumbai slum turns violent; locals hurl stones, police lathi-charge

The ongoing anti-encroachment drive at a slum in Mumbais Bandra area turned violent on Wednesday afternoon after authorities razed an alleged illegal religious structure, leading to aggressive standoffs as local residents hurled stones, while police lathi-charged the protesters.The police detained around 15 persons for stone-pelting, in which one of its personnel was injured, officials said.The Western Railway on Tuesday launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Gareeb Nagar slum area, clearing several of the 500 illegal huts near Bandra railway station following directions from the Bombay High Court.

The ongoing anti-encroachment drive at a slum in Mumbai's Bandra area turned violent on Wednesday afternoon after authorities razed an alleged illegal religious structure, leading to aggressive standoffs as local residents hurled stones, while police lathi-charged the protesters.

The police detained around 15 persons for stone-pelting, in which one of its personnel was injured, officials said.

The Western Railway on Tuesday launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Gareeb Nagar slum area, clearing several of the 500 illegal huts near Bandra railway station following directions from the Bombay High Court. During this five-day demolition drive, the authorities seek to clear 5,200 square metres of encroached railway land.

According to police, more than 1,000 personnel were deployed at the site during the operation. While around 400 personnel belong to the city police force, as many others are from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), along with officials from various railway departments.

On the second day of the anti-encroachment drive on Wednesday, the authorities pulled down an alleged illegal three-storey mosque in the slum in the afternoon. But local residents claimed that authorities did not give them adequate time to remove the belongings and material from the premises before its demolition began.

A large number of residents gathered at the site during the demolition of the old Gareeb Nagar Sunni Masjid, leading to tension in the area. In order to disperse the mob, the police started lathi-charging, an official said.

Several persons, including women, sustained injuries during the police action, he said.

Videos of the police action also went viral on social media.

However, some local residents later started throwing stones at the police, in which one constable was injured, the official said, adding that tense situation prevailed in the area for some time.

The police later detained around 15 persons for indulging in stone-pelting, he said.