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- By Parinda News Bureau, March 18, 2006, 11:54 IST
One day after the violence in Navi Mumbai on Holi, which left three dead and 76 wounded in police firing, violence erupted yet again on Friday evening. The police burst tear gas shells to rein in the stone-pelting mobs. One such mob also stormed a police station at Nerul.
Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the violence in Navi Mumbai, which remained tense, throughout the day with shops and establishments remaining closed in the wake of the bandh call given by the protestors.
Sporadic incidents of road blockade were also reported at Koparkhairane, Turbhe and Juhu village, where the police had to intervene to restore normal traffic, police sources said.
The residents came out in the street in the evening, shouting slogans against the police and demanding an inquiry against the police officials for resorting to firing on the crowd.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Ramdas Kadam, too, launched a scathing attack on the initial inaction of the police during the group clashes in Navi Mumbai. "The way police acted makes me wonder if the Home Minister had given orders to the police to kill people on the spot," Kadam said during a discussion on an adjournment motion on the Navi Mumbai riots.
Kadam said he visited the spot after the group clashes between Ghansoli villagers and Mathadi workers and gathered that had the local police inspector Pathan promptly acted to defuse tension after the eve-teasing incident, the deaths of three people in police firing later could have been averted. Kadam further alleged that Pathan opened fire without following due procedures like preceding it with a lathi-charge and also violated norms which stipulate firing below the waist. He didn't fire in the air but directly at the chest. He demanded that Pathan be suspended immediately and a murder case be registered against him.
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