The ongoing anti-encroachment drive in a slum area of Mumbai’s Bandra locality turned violent on Wednesday afternoon after authorities demolished an alleged illegal religious structure, triggering clashes between residents and police.
The drive, carried out by the Western Railway following directions from the Bombay High Court, is part of a larger operation to clear encroachments in the Garib Nagar slum near Bandra railway station. Officials are targeting around 5,200 square metres of encroached railway land and had already removed several illegal huts as part of the five-day demolition plan.
On the second day of the operation, authorities demolished an alleged illegal three-storey structure identified by locals as the Garib Nagar Sunni Masjid. Residents claimed they were not given sufficient time to remove their belongings before the demolition began, leading to tensions at the site.
A large crowd gathered during the action, after which police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob. Several people, including women, were injured during the incident. Subsequently, some residents allegedly began stone-pelting, injuring a police constable.
Around 15 people were detained in connection with the stone-pelting. Officials said nearly 1,000 personnel, including city police, Railway Protection Force, and Government Railway Police, were deployed to manage the situation. The area remained tense for some time before being brought under control.
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