33K cops make sure all is well

MUMBAI:THE 33,000-strong Mumbai police force was out on the streets on Wednesday to ensure the law-and-order situation didn’t go out of hands, as Maratha protesters blocked major roads to press for reservation.

While arterial roads, local trains and public transport buses bore the brunt, the city remained relatively peaceful, with no major incident of violence or arson. The Mumbai police detained 447 protesters for agitating at 45 locations across the city. Twenty-six cases were registered in 46 cases across the state, while 10 policemen suffered injuries.

Through the day, protesters blocked the western express highway, Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) marg, Sion-panvel highway and the eastern expressway (EEH) for short duration, forcing shops to be shut. They also blocked the entry and exit points to the city at Thane and Mankhurd, leading to traffic snarls.

The police, however, intervened quickly, ensuring safe passage of vehicles.

With autorickshaw, taxi and fleet taxi drivers staying off the roads, officegoers found it difficult to reach nearby railway stations. “With fewer autos, I found it tough to reach Mulund station. Trains were, however, less crowded,” said Bhushan M Shinde, a professor who travels from Mulund to Chembur.

The protesters torched a BEST bus in Mankhurd.

In a meeting conducted with the agitators, the police asked them to ensure the residents don’t suffer. “We urged the agitators to protest in a peaceful way, without causing hindrance to people,” Deepak Devraj, spokesperson for the Mumbai police, told Hindustan Times on Wednesday morning. “We ensured thick security cover in areas such as Dadar, Borivli, Kandivli, Kherwadi in Bandra, Sewri, Jogeshwari, Bhandup and Mulund.”

Battalions of the state reserve police force (SRPF) battalions were deployed in certain sensitive areas, officials said. The government railway police (GRP) and railway protection force (RPF) beefed up security at railway stations namely Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Bandra and Mumbai Central.

The worst-hit were Navi Mumbai, Solapur, Thane, Pune rural, Palghar, Raigad, Thane rural and Satara. In Satara, superintendent of police Sandeep Patil sustained injuries to his hand during stone pelting. The police had to resort to using tear gas and firing rubber bullets at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. “The police controlled and contained the situation very effectively, otherwise anything could have happened,” said Bipin Bihari, additional director general of police (law and order).

Meanwhile, the police are also investigating involvement of mischievous elements in certain flare- ups.