Mah: Police tighten bandobast at troubled areas

Mumbai, Jan 7: Additional police forces from the other police stations were deployed in the troubled areas of the city late tonight, following the sponetenous agitation against the mysterious death of the 77-year-old Buddhist monk, Bandan Sangaray Thoro Mandir, in the Chembur area of the North East Mumbai.

While the situation is under control, no arrest has been made so far, police officials said.

Security has been stepped up, especially in the dalit-dominated pockets of the city. Police have been put on high alert to deal with any untoward situation, a police official said.

Areas including Chembur, Kandivali, Sion, Kurla, Andheri, BDD chawl in Worli were being kept under strict vigil, the official informed.

While the autopsy report is still awaited, the police have registered a case of suicide.

Earlier, hundreds of angry protestors resorted to stone pelting and arson over the alleged suicide of the Buddhist monk.

As soon as the news about the monk's alleged death spread over, people in large number came out onto the streets, allegeing foul play.

The trouble soon spread to several parts of the city including Chembur, Kandivali, Sion, Kurla, Andheri and Bhiwandi in the neighbouring Thane district.

In Kurla, the mob set afire a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) bus and hurled stones at least five other buses, damaging windowpanes.

Traders at several places pulled down shutters apprehending violence, police official said.

The situation worsened further in the noon, when in the Govandi area of the Chembur suburb, a huge mob came out onto the streets, asking the shopkeeprs to down their shutters. This led to stone pelting at a couple of places, sources said.

The agitators alleged the involvement of a local builder, Lakrawala, behind monk's mysterious death.

Meanwhile, Lakrawala is said to be out of the country.

UNI