16 arrested after stone-pelting during Bandra station demolition drive; five cops injured

MUMBAI: Nirmal Nagar police arrested 16 people for allegedly pelting stones at police during a demolition drive carried out on Wednesday outside Bandra Railway station in east, officials said.The arrested people were produced before the Bandra Court on Thursday. Police booked them for rioting, unlawful assembly, and objecting govt servant from doing duty.Police said around 150 people protested during the demolition drive before the mob turned violent. The protestors pelted stones and paver blocks at cops for almost an hour before they were brought under control.A total of five cops suffered severe injuries, with one suffering a fracture on the hand and another suffering a broken nose after paver blocks were thrown at them.

Meanwhile, 10 suffered minor bruises.A officer said a total of 500-plus cops, including 50 officers, from Mumbai police and Govt Railway police were deployed at the demolition site yesterday. The cops bandobast continued for the second day.Nirmal Nagar police said the situation was under control today. Civic and railway officials were in the process of clearing debris from the demolition site.