Normalcy in Bhiwandi after two days of uneasy calm

Mumbai, July 7 (UNI) After two days of uneasy calm and hightened tensions, the situation in the powerloom town of Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district is limping back to normal.

Official spokesperson and senior police inspector Praful Joshi of Thane police told UNI that the situation was under control and normalcy gradually returning.

Dr Azimuddin, President of Mumbai charter of the Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ) said that actions from both sides were deplorable in the strongest terms.''I am pained to hear about the deaths of innocent policemen and people during the unfortunate incident'', Dr Azimuddin said.

Meanwhile, police are investigating various angles to apprehend the killers of the two police constables, killed on Wednesday night by a mob.

On Wednesday afternoon, two persons were killed and several others injured when police opened fire on agitating members of a community protesting against the construction of a new police station in the Nizampura area of Bhiwandi.

In retaliation, the angry mob killed two police constables R Y Jagtap and B R Gangurde and torched seven state transport buses late evening on the same day.

Earlier Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil while replying to a debate on the floor of the house assured a thorough probe into the incident and annouced compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh to the kin of the two constables who were killed.

In the past too, objections were raised by the community against the construction of a police station alleging that the land belonged to the wakf board. Subsequently the Chief Minister gave a go ahead to the construction, when documents in the possession of the police indicated it as a government land.

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