Navi Mumbai: Sixty people were detained and 17 cases were registered on Wednesday, while road and rail blockades, and stone-pelting incidents brought the city to a standstill.
While there were heavy traffic jams on the Sion-Panvel Highway and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Harbour Line services were severely affected. There were protests at Manasarovar railway station and on the Thane-Vashi route.
Stones were hurled at State transport buses in Panvel, causing panic among passengers. An attempt was made to torch a BEST bus at Vashi. Two seats were burnt before the fire brigade doused the blaze.
A fight broke out between Bhim Sainiks and Mathadi workers at APMC market over its closure. “The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. A complaint was registered and a few people were detained,” deputy inspector Sudhakar Pathare, Zone I, said. At Rabale, an assistant inspector was assaulted, while at Rabale MIDC, window panes of a bus were broken.
A cross complaint was registered with the Rabale MIDC police against two groups for assaulting over shutting shops.
Out of the 17 cases, the NRI coastal police, Turbhe MIDC, Koparkhairane, APMC, Rabale, Panvel, Kamothe, and the Kalqmboli have one case each, while the CBD Belapur and the Vashi police have two cases registered. The Rabale MIDC police have reported five cases.
“We had bandobast across Navi Mumbai and there was no major incident. We have booked several people under Section 37(1)(3) of the Bombay Police Act,” Mr. Pathare said.
