As many as 20 police personnel, together with an ACP rank officer, and 5 engineers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC), had been amongst 35 injured in alleged stone-pelting after a demolition drive in Powai’s Jai Bheem Nagar colony turned violent on Thursday with residents clashing with municipal authorities, officers stated. Almost 50 individuals have been detained, police stated.
In response to BMC officers, the residents of the colony protested when the authorities started the demolition drive round midday. Tons of of residents, together with girls and youngsters, got here out displaying flags and pictures of Dr BR Ambedkar, and allegedly prevented the authorities from getting into the colony.
Claiming that the constructions had been erected illegally, civic officers stated that that they had obtained directives from the State Human Rights Fee (SHRC) to take away them. Accordingly, notices had been served to the slum-dwellers on June 1, offering almost every week for the residents to vacate the premises. The colony had round 500 shanties that housed a number of households.
After a short negotiation, the residents allegedly started hurling stones on the authorities. In response, police personnel charged with batons, detaining some people who resisted the eviction. Through the altercation, 20 police personnel, together with an assistant police commissioner, sustained accidents, together with 5 BMC engineers, officers stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police zone X, Mangesh Shinde, stated the police have detained almost 50 individuals who had been allegedly concerned in throwing stones on the police and the BMC personnel in the course of the anti-encroachment drive.
“We’re in technique of registering an FIR in opposition to greater than 50 individuals on costs of 353, 326, 324, 336, 338 and 146 of the Indian Penal Code for attacking public servants, inflicting grievous harm and rioting. As soon as the FIR is registered the detained 50 can be positioned beneath arrest,” he stated.
Later satisfactory safety was offered to the BMC to proceed the drive, the officer added.
“Such assaults on municipal staff is not going to be tolerated. Our staff have been assured that the company stands with them,” acknowledged a BMC launch issued later within the day.
A lot of the constructions within the colony consisted of single and two-storey duplex residential constructions with roofs product of asbestos and tarpaulin sheets.
Native residents alleged that the authorities prevented them from retrieving their belongings from the huts. Photographs and movies of the incident had been circulated on social media.
Municipal commissioner and state-appointed administrator, Bhushan Gagrani, visited the location to evaluate the state of affairs.
“The resistance appeared pre-planned. As we approached the scene, slum-dwellers had been already positioned, waving political flags and chanting slogans. Regardless of prior discover, they resorted to violence,” acknowledged an official.
“Most of us have been residing right here for over a decade, with all related paperwork. Why are we immediately being requested to relocate. Police forcefully evicted us from our huts and denied us entry to our belongings,” stated Balu Pal, a resident.
Stone-pelting continued for half an hour till native police requested further reinforcements of 500 SRPF personnel.
In the meantime, the BMC clarified that notices had been issued to slum-dwellers beneath the Maharashtra Regional City Planning (MRTP) Act, empowering authorities to take motion in opposition to unauthorised constructions after issuing notices.
“We served authorized eviction notices on June 1, permitting them 48 hours to vacate the premises. The BMC initiated the demolition in the present day (June 6), after giving ample time for relocation,” stated BMC officers, offering a duplicate of the discover to The Indian Express.
“We obtained no such discover; we had been solely knowledgeable two days in the past that our shanties can be razed in the present day (Thursday),” stated Gopal Kale, a resident.
In response to civic paperwork, the land was initially allotted to a personnel for development of non permanent shelters in 2007. Nevertheless, the dwellings stayed, and over time, slum-dwellers constructed duplex residential constructions on the plot, officers stated.
Former Congress MLA Naseem Khan, additionally a neighborhood resident, informed The Indian Categorical that the BMC failed to supply satisfactory time earlier than demolishing the slums, asserting that the civic authorities ought to take duty for his or her rehabilitation.