Bhiwandi toll rises to four; curfew to continue

Bhiwandi, July 6 (UNI) Curfew in the riot-torn powerloom town will continue today while the death toll in yesterday's violence over the issue of construction of police station and offices of the ACP rose to four with the recovery of bodies of two policemen.

Police said two policemen were lynched by the furious mob protesting against the construction.

Sources at the Bhoiwada police station told UNI this morning that bodies of the two policemen were found abandoned after the melee late last night.

The police constables have been identified as R Y Jagtap of Bhoiwada police station and B R Gangurde of Narpoli police station.

Meanwhile, violence and arson continued unabated and at least half a dozen MSRTC buses were torched by the furious mob.

Police said the mob targeted the police chowkie at Vanzarpatti Naka.

Additional police force has been rushed to the area besides the SRP and RAP to contain the situation, the police said and added that no arrest was made so far.

Senior police officials, including Police Commissioner D Shivanandan, were monitoring the situation.

Police said they were presently busy in making security arrangements and registering offences relating to the incidences yesterday. Only one offence has been registered so far with the Nizampura police station, they added.

Two people were killed and more than 30 policemen, including senior police officers, injured yesterday when police opened fire on agitating members of a community protesting against the construction in the Nizampura area of Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district.

Senior Police Inspector Praful Joshi, while speaking to UNI, had alleged that the community members were opposed to the new police station as it would expose their illegal activities. They were falsely accusing the police of grabbing the graveyard land for construction of a police station, Mr Joshi alleged.

Mr Joshi maintained that the land, on which the police station was proposed to be built, belonged to the Thane police for the last 70 years.

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