Citizens thrashed with iron rods, 90 vehicles smashed...Powai, Vikhroli, JVLR worst hit

MUMBAI : While the entire city was held to ransom by Wednesday’s bandh, the areas that saw the maximum injuries to citizens and damage to property included the stretch between Gandhi Nagar flyover in

Vikhroli

West and

Powai

followed by Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (

JVLR

). Some of the injuries were serious in nature.

At Powai, as many as 90 vehicles, both public and private, were damaged or torched. Not just locals, even 12 cops were injured when a

mob

threw burning tyres at two police bikes.

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) youth president Suresh Gupta said the protesters did more damage in the Powai-Vikhroli belt than in other parts of the city. “The mobs used paver blocks to damage cars, BEST buses and even assault people on roads and in vehicles. It is also learnt that during a stone-pelting episode, a woman suffered an injury to her eye as a glass shard of her shattered car window pierced it. She has been admitted to a hospital. All motorists abandoned their vehicles on the flyover near Gandhi Nagar in Powai and fled after a mob began to pelt

stones

,” said Gupta.

Powai markets largely remained shut but when some shop owners tried to open for business, a mob sitting outside S M Shetty School warned them against doing so. Roads leading to Raheja Complex were closed and Lake Homes kept their gates locked, preventing even househelp from entering.

At Vikhroli, two businessmen brothers were injured after close to a hundred protesters barged into their building, Saroj Bhavan, around 1.30pm and damaged their five cars and two bikes. Guddu Singh and Pankaj Singh suffered injuries to their heads, shoulders and backs after the mob attacked them with iron

rods

when they tried to stop them from entering the building. Singh and others from the locality alleged that cops stood as “mere spectators” and did nothing to stop the mob.

Other residents said protesters damaged at least 20 more cars parked along the lane. “My brother Pankaj has got 15 stitches on his head and injured his spine. The mob hit me on my shoulder,” Guddu Singh told TOI. Pankaj Singh filed an FIR at Parksite police station.

Shailesh Shetty, another resident, said, “The mob attacked me with rods too. At least 14 others from the area were injured.”

Meanwhile, a BMC hydraulic department vehicle was damaged near L&T at Powai. Civic officials filed a non-cognizable offence. One labourer in the vehicle suffered minor injuries. Civic staff sought police protection for valve operations to ensure steady water supply.

A senior MIDC police officer said a mob was controlled on the MIDC-Andheri-Seepz stretch, Jogeshwari and Meghwadi on JVLR. “There was minimum damage here. Powai witnessed maximum damage.”

Chandivli resident J P Shetty said, “The police failed in applying Section 144 of IPC (unlawful assembly) and should have detained leaders the previous night itself.” (Inputs from Hemali Chhapia & Richa Pinto)


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