On special drive, SIT arrests 1 youth

MUMBAI: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Azad Maidan violence on Tuesday launched a special drive to arrest all those who are wanted for the August 11 violence and arrested another person Mohammed Hussain from Kurla. Sources said SIT launched the special drive after several suspects who had promised to surrender before the police after Eid failed to turn up on Tuesday.
“Many of them had through their mediators promised to surrender but they did not turn up. Till now we were going a bit soft but now to speed up the process, we have initiated a stronger drive,” an officer said.
With Hussain’s arrest, the total number of people arrested has gone up to 25.
In the special drive, the police are now planning to pressurize parents or relatives so that the main culprits surrender. The police are also putting the suspects’ cell phones under surveillance to trace them.
The crime branch will be taking the help of local police and informers.
Meanwhile three more persons suspected to be involved in the violence were detained by the SIT late on Tuesday evening and are verifying them with the CCTV footages. Besides, police have identified 20 more youths responsible for the violence taking the number of persons identified to 42.
The police also said they have identified the two suspects from Mumbra and Kurla responsible for the desecration of 1857 Martyrs’ Memorial. “They have been identified but their houses are locked and the entire family has gone underground. How long can they run? We are now putting their mobile phones under surveillance,” said an officer.
In the August 11 violence, two persons were killed and 63, including 58 policemen, injured.