Mumbai: The residents of Punjabi Colony in Sion Koliwada called for a bandh on Friday, anticipating another effort by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to sever the electricity and water supply to 25 buildings housing around 1,200 families. However, no such action was taken by the authorities.
On Thursday, around 1,000 residents of the colony blocked the path of BMC teams who had gone to cut off water and electric supply to the buildings. The resistance took a violent turn when the residents allegedly pelted stones, injuring five policemen, and the police had to resort to lathi charge. Residents said there was no stone-pelting on their part, and that the lathi charge was unprovoked.
“The bandh was peaceful and all the shop owners cooperated, and helped us maintain peace. They opened up for business only in the evening,” said Bunty Sehgal, secretary of Building 4 in the colony. The police had imposed bandobast in the area, and the residents also held a sit-in protest in the colony against the lathi charge on Thursday.
Captain R. Tamilselvan, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Sion-Koliwada, was among those arrested on Thursday. “Capt. Tamilselvan and 20 to 25 other individuals have been charged with voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty,” said Senior Police Inspector Nasir Abdul Shaikh, Antop Hill police station.
The residents also met Prakash Mehta, State Cabinet Minister, Housing, who assured them that the government would frame a policy regarding the redevelopment of their buildings.
“We have received an interim stay on severance of our power and water supply till June 7. We will submit individual undertakings absolving all government agencies and officials of any damage to property and harm to people sustained if we continue to stay here,” said Jitendra Vyas, resident of Building 18.
