Mumbai on tenterhooks as police register cases in two incidents of communal violence

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Mumbai: Two incidents of communal violence were reported from two suburbs Mumbai on Sunday. While one incident was reported from the eastern suburb of Mankhurd where around 25 vehicles were damaged, the second incident took place at Malwani where a First Information Report (FIR) was registered after a procession was carried out without prior police permission. Seven persons have been arrested in the Mankhurd incident.

Mumbai police Sunday registered a FIR against 25 persons from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bajrang Dal among others for carrying out a procession without prior police permission. A police official said that the accused tried to create a ruckus in the Malwani area and a police team rushed to the spot and managed to control the situation. 

The FIR has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for hurting religious sentiments. Among the accused include BJP’s Vinod Shelar and other local leaders of the party along with those of the Bajrang Dal.

Commenting upon the two incidents, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said that action will be taken against those trying to give the incidents a communal colour. Patil urged people of all communities to maintain peace and harmony, and help the police in maintaining law and order in the state. He said that members of some political parties have been giving “provocative” statements, which could increase enmity between Hindus and Muslims.

According to senior police officers, a mob of around 4,000 people gathered at Malwani and went around mosques playing loudspeakers. An officer said that the rally was carried out despite the police denying permission for the same. Around 7 pm, a huge crowd gathered at Jama Masjid and played music on speaker. The mosque authorities requested the crowd to leave as Namaz was underway.

Giving further details about the Mankhurd incident, the police officer said that at around 10.30 pm, eight persons on four bikes passed through the area after visiting a religious gathering in nearby Chembur. “As they were passing by a mosque, they started chanting religious slogans. Following this, a few people outside the mosque asked them not to raise slogans at the spot as Ramzan prayers were underway inside the mosque,” said police inspector R Surve. 

This led to an argument between the two sides, which escalated into a fight. One person, Sonu Choudhary, who was on the bike, was roughed up by the crowd outside the mosque, the police officer said. The eight persons on the bike then left the spot but returned after 20 minutes, accompanied by a crowd of over 25 persons armed with rods and sticks.