Mumbai: The Nirmal Nagar police have arrested 16 individuals for alleged rioting and stone pelting during a demolition drive at Garib Nagar in Bandra East. The incident left at least five police personnel with severe injuries, including constable Jitendra Singh, who suffered a fracture on his hand, and another constable who sustained a broken nose after paver blocks and stones were hurled at them during a protest by at least 150 people on Wednesday, according to police officials.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings
The 16 suspects were apprehended at the scene and produced before the Bandra court on Thursday. They have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rioting, unlawful assembly, assault, and obstructing a government servant from performing their duty. The Bandra court has remanded them to police custody until May 26.
FIR Details and Police Response
The arrests were based on a complaint filed by Railway Protection Force (RPF) Assistant Inspector Dharmendra Singh (50). In the FIR, Singh stated, “At 4:30pm, nearly 100 to 150 people from Garib Nagar gathered at the spot and started raising slogans demanding that the demolition be stopped. Police officials repeatedly instructed the crowd through a megaphone to vacate the area. Despite the warnings, the crowd allegedly became aggressive.” Police officials warned that force would be used if the crowd failed to disperse, but the mob allegedly began pelting stones, cement blocks, and paver blocks at police and railway officials. The police then resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, detaining several individuals. In the attack, more than five police personnel suffered injuries, while another ten officers sustained minor bruises.
Deployment and Ongoing Operations
An officer confirmed that over 500 police personnel, including 50 officers from Mumbai police and Government Railway Police, were deployed at the demolition site on Wednesday. Police bandobast continued for the second day. On Thursday, police and RPF personnel chased away a few individuals who attempted to create trouble on the third day of the demolition drive at Garib Nagar slum in Bandra East. Debris removal continued throughout the day, and the situation remained largely under control, said Western Railway officials.
Demolition Progress and Railway Land Reclamation
Western Railway Chief Spokesperson Vineet Abhishek stated that there were no major law and order issues at the site on Thursday, a day after the operation saw stone pelting and injuries. He added that more than 85% of the demolition work had been completed. Abhishek noted that around 500 hutments had been identified for demolition, while nearly 100 structures that were found eligible for rehabilitation or alternate accommodation were left untouched.
The ongoing drive aims to reclaim approximately 5,200 square metres of railway land, estimated to be worth about Rs 600 crore. Officials said the encroachment had expanded perilously close to active railway infrastructure, including Harbour line tracks and overhead electric equipment masts, posing operational and safety risks. WR officials indicated that the reclaimed land would be used for major railway infrastructure expansion around Bandra station. Once the demolitions are completed, the area will be barricaded and handed over for project work, supporting integrated development for suburban and long-distance train operations at Bandra as part of Mumbai’s capacity augmentation projects.
Humanitarian Measures and Additional Actions
The Railways arranged for water and refreshments for several police, RPF, and other personnel involved in the demolition work. Abhishek said that overnight, 300 staff were deputed, including 250 security personnel and 50 workers for post-demolition clearing. He added that two more unauthorised structures at nearby Bandra Terminus were also demolished on Thursday. The operation was carried out using 13 machines, including JCBs, Poclain equipment, and gas cutters, along with manual breaking. Calling it a sensitive issue with a human angle, Abhishek said precautions were taken, and 2,000 water bottles were distributed over two days.
