The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested 23 rioters from among those who had gathered around Azad Maidan to protest against the recent Assam violence. All 23 arrested have been charged with rioting, molesting police constables and damaging public property.
The initially "peaceful" protest by the Raza Academy against the violence in Assam turned ugly after some of the miscreants set fire to OB vans of the television channels and began attacking policemen trying to control the mob. The mob went on to thoughtlessly destroy the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial in South Mumbai in their fit of unwarranted rage.
Several BEST buses were damaged just like media and police vans were set on fire. The Mumbai Crime Branch has also charged 23 of the mob with charges relating to molestation of women constables who were deployed as part of the additional security to control the situation. Police sources said that the mob manhandled women constables and shoved them around inappropriately while being restrained by the force. Two police constables are reportedly missing while 47 have been injured.
The police had reportedly fired 26 aerial rounds of bullets and used about 30 tear gas shells to control the mob that also ran into CST station to stop and damage suburban train operations, but luckily the services resumed after 20 minutes as the mob was brought under control.
The state government of Maharashtra has also deployed extra security personnel at train stations where trains enter the city from the north-eastern states. A delegation of BJP leaders also met with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, seeking a stricter action against the rioters.
The state is on a high alert ahead of Independence Day on Wednesday. Chavan told reporters, "A statewide alert has been issued to ensure there is no adverse fallout of the incident. Rapid Action Force and the state police have been deployed at sensitive locations. The crime branch will probe just how the situation suddenly took a violent turn."
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