By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Mumbai: The disturbance on Wednesday noon in Zakaria Nagar area of Bandra (E) in Mumbai left nearly 15 people injured. The tense area was struggling to return to normalcy today.
As per the media reports, a mob of locals pelted stones at the Deevan Builder office and the nearby Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) office building. The police had to lathi charge thrice to disperse the mob. In the clash more than a dozen people, mostly from the minority community, like Rafiq Qureshi, Allah Bakhsh, Akhtar Ansari, Muhammad Razzaq Ansari, Gul Sher Shaikh, Sayyid Shahabuddin, Muhammad Ismail, Saeed Ahmad, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Imran, Azim Qureshi, Saleem Khan, Moeen Shaikh and Muhammad Yusuf sustained injuries.
It all happened when allegedly the henchmen of Diwan builder started beating Rafiq, the owner of a shanty behind Uqba Hotel near Bandra court in Zakaria Nagar, when he did not allow them to demolish his house.
The slum in which the shanty is located has reportedly been developed under SRA scheme and the rest of the place has been allotted to the BEST Bus Depot. The responsibility to have it evacuated is that of the Diwan Builder. As per the instruction from the Builder many people have evacuated their houses within two months except some of them.
‘Nearly 30-40 people of Diwan Builder came to Rafiq’s house and compelled him to abandon it. When he defied they beat him up. The locals too joined resistance which followed exchange of stone pelting among them,’ said Riyaz Ahmad while talking to TCN. He added that the builder was giving him one crore for that but their demand is that of three crore.
Unfortunately, some of the stones fell upon the namazees making ablution in the nearby Ghausia Masjid in Keperi Building and then a rumour flew that builder men had attacked the mosque. People, who had gathered in huge number, then started damaging the properties of the builder.
The MD of Diwan Builder and HIDL group Sarang Vidhawan reportedly told the media persons that he had taken the responsibility of evacuating the place for Best Bus Depot. However, he refused that their men pelted stones in the mosque or indulged in beating.
Now, the situation is under control and the security forces deployed in huge number yesterday are being withdrawn gradually.