33 arrested for rioting, assault during funeral procession in Chembur
Seven policemen were injured and over 15 vehicles damaged after some mourners trailing the procession allegedly tried to block the road and hurled stones at the cops
Mumbai Police have booked nearly 200 people and arrested at least 33 of them for allegedly attacking policemen and damaging vehicles during the funeral procession in Chembur on Tuesday.
The incident took place during the funeral procession of Pancharam Rithadiya, who allegedly committed suicide last week by jumping in front of a running train at Tilak Nagar railway station.
Rithadiya, relatives claim, was disturbed as police were unable to find his 17- year-old daughter who had been missing for over six months. In the suicide note, he purportedly mentioned that the police did not help him in tracing his daughter.
After his death, Wadala GRP registered an offence of abatement to suicide against five persons.
During his funeral procession to a crematorium in Chembur on Tuesday, mourners allegedly hurled stones at the police and also vandalised a police van and some other vehicles, Additional Commissioner of Police (east region) Lakhmi Gautam said.
“Seven police personnel, including four officers, were injured in the attack,” he said.
According to another official, a police van, a taxi, a car, 10 to 12 motorcycles and three auto-rickshaws were damaged in the incident.
The police lodged an FIR late Tuesday night against nearly 200 people and arrested 33 of them, Gautam said.
“Till now, 33 people have been arrested. We are analysing the CCTV footage and some videos which have gone viral on social media to identify the others involved in the violence,” he said.
The accused have been booked under various Indian Penal Code Sections, including 143, 145, 147 (rioting), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.
A police official on Tuesday said some mourners trailing the procession suddenly tried to block the road at Umarshi Bappa Chowk in Chembur.
As the police personnel tried to remove the protesters, some of them ran to a nearby under-construction building and hurled stones, injuring two police constables and an officer of Traffic Police.
Eye-witnesses, meanwhile, claimed that people got provoked when a policeman shoved a woman mourner with a stick.
