Police hunt for 15 rioters

Mumbai: Thane police has identified 15 people for their role in Thursday’s violence orchestrated by villagers in Kalyan and search is underway to locate them as they along with most of the villagers are on the run following the attack.

The police has registered four cases — three in Hill Line and one in Manpada police stations — against the attackers on charges related to assault and attempt to murder. At least 30 persons, including 12 policemen, were injured in the attack and half a dozen vehicles were set ablaze or damaged by the protestors.

Officials said at least 200 persons could be arrested in the case. However, they are in the process of tracking down the 15 persons who are named in the cases.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the violence broke out in Bhal, Khoni, Nevale, Rawal Pada after the villagers held a meeting and planned the violence after the Navy started erecting a peripheral boundary wall around the 1,700 acre land where biggest Naval colony is set to be built.

The land also has a British-era airstrip around which revolves the state government’s plan to build an airport. While the locals claim the land belongs to them, Navy authorities said they have owned the land since 1946.

“The 7/12 documents of the land is in the name of the armed forces since the land was taken over in the pre-Independence period. The villagers are occupying around 500 acres of land,” said Parambir Singh, Thane police commissioner.

The said land has villages and farmlands on it and the villagers allegedly went out of control after they were not allowed to enter the farms. Investigations revealed that the village committees held meetings at Nevale village and a plan was chalked out to take on the police to exacerbate the situation to their advantage.

Police officials said they are scanning footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that were put up at a few shops at Nevale Naka area, to identify the accused and going through the footage and pictures shot by the media.

Process to follow

Along with the investigation of the violence by villagers, the Thane City police will also look into the possible lapses that unfolded while handling the situation. The tension had been simmering among the villagers, which the police knew about and hence there should have been early signs based on the ground intelligence about the situation taking a violent turn. The police will also probe if there was a gap in the intelligence inputs and steps taken to handle the situation on the ground leading to administrative action against those found responsible.