After 30 buses are targeted by protesters, cops bring violence under control by checking for stones in bags of bikers and people in cars
After 30 buses are targeted by protesters, cops bring violence under control by checking for stones in bags of bikers and people in cars
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| Set ablaze: Protesters set PMPML buses on fire in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Moshi during yesterday's bandh over the removal of Dadoji Konddeo statue from Lal Mahal. Pics/ Atul Marwadi |
Several instances of violence were prevented yesterday, thanks to the alert city police. They ensured that people called by the Shiv Sena-BJP during the bandh to create nuisance were stopped beforehand. But the bandh was not totally free of violence. Almost 30 city buses were targeted till afternoon. The police then took control of the situation and started checking baggage of people travelling by bikes and carsu00a0 to see if they were carrying stones or inflammable material.
"We ensured that the strategy of political parties to pelt stones on city buses did not continue throughout the day. We conducted thorough checks with the help of the traffic police to prevent those political activists, who come on cars and motorbikes, target buses and then flee," said Commissioner of Police Meeran Chadha Borwankar. "An incident was reported in Pimpri, where activists came in a car and attacked a bus. This was slightly different as most activists were coming on motorbikes and the police were targeting them."
'Bandh only 50%'
Borwankar added, "A total of 45 city buses were attacked yesterday out of which only 15 were reported to the police. The police did their best to curb violence and with the co-operation of citizens, the city remained calm. According to my assessment the bandh was only 50 per cent successful."
Earlier, traffic on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway was disrupted for 30 minutes when the Shiv Sena-BJP activists protested at Kivale village around 11 am.
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Dehu road police reached the spot and detained the activists following which normalcy was restored.
Sena leaders held
Shiv Sena's MP Gajanan Babar, MLA Dr Neelam Gorhe, Chandrakant Mokate, corporators Prithviraj Sutar, Anil Gaikwad, Seema Savle and Leena Pansare, and MNS corporators Ravindra Dhangekar and Kishore Shinde were detained yesterday.u00a0
"Seven cognisable and non-cognisable offences have been registered at different police stations. In a case registered at Sahakar Nagar, 22 persons were arrested for rioting.
Three people were arrested at Yerawada for forcibly closing down a showroom. In addition, 375 persons were detained since Monday evening,"
said Borwankar. "Relevant sections of the Criminal Amendment Act, the Contempt of Court and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act will be applied against the accused."
