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Tension continues in Navi Mumbai
Published on Sat, Mar 18, 2006 at 15:25, Updated on Sun, Mar 19, 2006 at 11:05 in India section
Tags: Riots, Navi Mumbai , Mumbai
Mumbai: Tension continued in Navi Mumbai on Saturday after three people were killed in police firing after clashes between two groups.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has said senior police inspector, Shamsher Singh Pathan involved in the shooting and killing of two people in the riots will be transferred.
Police firing will be enquired by the Revenue Commissioner.
Navi Mumbai police arrested 250 people related to various incidents of violence in the past few days.
Earlier, a mob pelted stones at the police at Bomkhode in Koparkhairane forcing the police to fire tear gas at them.
The Rapid Action Force has been deployed in the area along with the state reserve police force.
Navi Mumbai Municipal transport has halted its bus service. There is no curfew in the Koparkhairane area. Ghansoli is still under curfew where the trouble first started during the Holi celebrations.
Over the last three days the violence has been fuelled by a clash between two communities - the Mathadis and the Agaris.
The land on which Navi Mumbai was developed belonged to the Agri community. This is the pre-dominant community in the coastal Raigad district. City and industrial development corporation acquired this land in the late 70s.
Now the area has industrial and residential settlements. Mathadis are one community, which now reside in these settlements. Agaris now feel that they have been displaced and among others they blame Mathadis for this
This is the reason for the tension between the two communities for over two decades now.
The latest incident happened on Holi when Mathadi men are alleged to have misbehaved with Agaris women.
Those who died in the police firing are said to be Agaris so the fight has now spread to Agaris versus the police too.
On Friday, a mob of 300-400 people stormed the Nerul police station to mark their protest against police inspector, Shamsher Singh Pathan, who fired at rioters on Thursday.
Villagers from Ghansoli blocked roads and were demanding Pathan's suspension. They also asked the administration for additional police protection in the area.
An incident of eve-teasing during Holi celebrations had sparked off the clashes between two communities. Three people were killed in the police firing following the clash.
Amid tight security, the police handed over the dead bodies to the families. DCP Crime Navi Mumbai, Shashikant Marvekar, says, "We have handed over the bodies for cremation. Everthing is peaceful."
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