Funeral procession in Chembur turns violent

Mumbai: A funeral procession of a 44-year-old man, who allegedly committed suicide on Sunday after police failed to locate his missing daughter, took a violent turn in Mumbai’s Chembur area on Tuesday after people resorted to stone-pelting.

Hundreds of people had gathered on Tuesday for the funeral of Pancharam Rithadia (44), who committed suicide by jumping before a running train at Tilak Nagar last Sunday.

As per Chembur police station officials, protesters gathered near Chhagan Mitha petrol pump and blocked vehicular traffic. In one of the videos that went viral on social media, an angry crowd was seen pelting stones on police vehicles, leading to traffic jams.

However, the crowd dispersed after the intervention of the police and the traffic was restored.

On condition of anonymity, a policeman who was on duty said, “The protestors were relatives and family friends of Rithadia. The people turned to angry protests after police, they claimed, failed to solve the case of his 17-year-old missing daughter.”

Rithadia, a shoemaker, was a resident of Chembur’s Thakar Bapa Colony. In his suicide note, he blamed the local police for not assisting in his missing daughter’s case. He also mentioned five people in connection with the case who were harassing him.  

A family friend of Rithadia, Imran Khan, said, “Rithadia was restless after his daughter went missing. He used to cry and shout at night. Rithadia had also mentioned that four associates of some Fulwaria had been harassing him. The deceased repeatedly said that they might have certain connection with the disappearance of his daughter. After the police couldn’t find any clue of his daughter, he was forced to end his life.”

Seven months ago, his 17-year-old daughter went missing. Rithadia registered a missing complaint with the Nehru Nagar police station on April 25.