The situation in Navi Mumbai is peaceful but tense, following a near riot situation on Thursday.

The Ghansoli village outside Navi Mumbai had witnessed a clash between two groups of people during the Holi celebrations on Wednesday evening, after a group of boys forcibly threw colour on a girl living in the village.

Incidents of stone throwing continued through the night, and the clash was finally quelled by police firing, which left three people dead and over 35 injured.

"I just stepped outside to see what was happening and I was shot in the back," said Suresh Maruti, a resident of Navi Mumbai.

Tense relations

Relations between villagers in the area, most of them farmers and fishermen, and residents of the nearby buildings have been tense for years, and the trouble had started after the village land was reclaimed to construct the buildings.

Local residents are now angry and tense, with both sides blaming the other for the clash.

They have also lamented the police for reacting too late.

"If the police had arrived in time none of this would have happened. By the time they came the things got out of hand," said Parshuram Mhatre, a villager.

The police will now have to answer tough questions about whether they took the situation too lightly and let it spiral out of control.



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