Serious charges invoked against accused
Prosecutors argued the attack on police teams was coordinated and pre-planned
Violence erupted during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Mumbai’s Bandra East as authorities claimed that 85 per cent of the demolition work has now been completed, even as a legal and political battle over the operation intensified.
During a court hearing on Thursday, a public prosecutor alleged that the violence witnessed in Garib Nagar during the demolition drive was not spontaneous but part of a “pre-planned conspiracy”. According to the prosecution, a mob of nearly 150 people attacked police personnel and demolition teams by pelting stones and cement blocks in an attempt to stop bulldozers from carrying out the operation.
The clashes left three police personnel injured, following which police resorted to a lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
Officials said the anti-encroachment drive has entered its final phase, with authorities reclaiming nearly 5,000 square metres of land required for the expansion of the fifth and sixth railway lines near Bandra station.
The prosecutor defended the imposition of serious charges, including Section 109 (attempt to murder), arguing that the coordinated attack on police and Railway Protection Force personnel warranted custodial interrogation to identify the masterminds behind the violence.
The defence, however, questioned the transparency and legality of the demolition process. Lawyers representing some of the accused claimed that the demolition of a local mosque was carried out without proper authorisation and argued that the Bombay High Court’s order did not specifically permit action against religious structures.
Meanwhile, residents displaced by the demolition expressed anger over the timing of the operation, alleging that authorities carried out the drive just days before Eid celebrations scheduled for May 27.
The Western Railway launched the anti-encroachment drive earlier this week to clear around 500 illegal structures located near the eastern side of Bandra railway station. The operation is being conducted following directions issued by the Bombay High Court.
Authorities said the cleared land will be used for major railway infrastructure expansion projects aimed at increasing train capacity and improving services in Mumbai.
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