Garib Nagar shifts from demolition to cleanup but tension still hangs in the air

The situation remained tense on Friday afternoon at the Garib Nagar demolition site in Mumbai’s Bandra East, with police deployed in strength and senior officers present on the ground amid apprehensions of fresh clashes as residents returned from a religious gathering. The heightened security follows violent clashes on Wednesday, when the demolition of a religious structure triggered stone pelting by local residents, prompting a police lathicharge. Mumbai Police subsequently launched a crackdown, arresting 19 people, including a minor. Read Full Story Police officials said they are also searching for around 10-15 more accused who fled the spot after the incident. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage and social media videos to identify and trace those involved. Fifteen of the arrested accused were produced before a court on Thursday, where the prosecution alleged that the stone pelting was pre-planned. It claimed stones and paver blocks were stockpiled in advance to resist anti-encroachment action and later used to attack police personnel. The police told the court they are probing the conspiracy angle and trying to identify the alleged masterminds, seeking seven days of custody for further investigation. Defence lawyers, however, argued that the violence erupted spontaneously after the demolition of a mosque-like structure without prior notice, which they said had hurt religious sentiments and led to unrest. The Bandra Magistrate Court, after hearing both sides, remanded the accused to police custody till May 26, while the minor was sent to a juvenile home. On Friday as well, three more accused were produced in court in connection with stone pelting and attacks on police during the demolition drive. During the hearing, counsel for accused Saddam Ansari, who is alleged to have lifted and thrown a paver block at a police officer, argued that identification based on viral video screenshots was unreliable and that there was no conclusive proof linking him to the act. The prosecution, however, maintained that accused persons were being identified through CCTV footage and viral videos, and said the investigation was at a preliminary stage, making custodial interrogation necessary. It also informed the court that several police personnel were injured during the incident and that paver blocks were used in the attack. The court subsequently sent three accused, including Ansari, to police custody till May 26. Meanwhile, demolition work carried out by Western Railway over the past four days is nearing completion, with most illegal structures near the railway tracks already cleared. However, around 100 structures that are protected under High Court directions are seeing manual dismantling of unauthorised upper floors, a process expected to be completed by Saturday. Railway officials said nearly 80 metric tonnes of debris are being removed daily and temporarily dumped at a nearby site, with final disposal expected to take at least a week. Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said the railway is working to ensure smoother access to Bandra Terminus and nearby local train stations, including routes to Bandra Kurla Complex, adding that commuters would soon experience improved connectivity and reduced congestion. Ends