THANE, 7 July 2006 — The death toll in Wednesday’s violence in Bhiwandi, in the western Indian town of Thane, rose to four yesterday, with the death of two policemen who were lynched by rioters and two Muslim youth who were shot dead by police. The two policemen, R.Y. Jagtap of Bhoiwada police station, and B. R. Gangurde of Narpoli police station, were allegedly lynched on Wednesday night by an angry mob while on patrol duty. The two youth who were earlier shot dead in police firing were identified as Ramzan Khan and Abdul Malik. A violent mob of Muslims went berserk and threw stones at police on Wednesday afternoon engaging police in pitched battles at several places in the town. The police first baton-charged and then fired tear gas shells. When this proved ineffective the police fired into the air and then indiscriminately at the mob. The trouble erupted following the beginning of the construction of a police station on a disputed land adjacent to the Quarter Gate Mosque, which Muslims claimed as being Waqf property and a burial ground for the community. The mob then pulled down the construction that had taken place. The police on the other hand claimed the land to be government property since 1920. In order to bring the situation under control the police imposed a curfew on Wednesday night in the Islampura area, after more than 3,000 members of the minority community went on a rampage and set fire to seven government buses and several two-wheeler vehicles. The situation in the Muslim dominated textile town remains tense but under control. Police have continued the curfew. The police fear an outbreak of violence and arson during the funeral of the two Muslim youth and policemen. To deal with outbreaks of violence during the funeral processions, the police have chalked out a strategy and are in a full state of preparedness. So far 2,500 policemen have been drawn from different police stations in Thane, which also include eight companies of the State Reserve Police Force and the Rapid Action Force. These police officers have been deployed throughout the town. Thane Police Commissioner D. Shivanandan stated that although the situation since yesterday morning is under control, the police are trying to defuse the situation through the intervention of local peace committee members. The commissioner added that if this fails and the mob indulges in a confrontation, then the police are fully prepared to maintain peace and law and order in the town. Muslim leaders allege that Deputy Commissioner of Police RD Shinde was responsible for aggravating the situation and was the one who ordered the police to open fire at the Muslims instead of firing into the air. The leaders demanded the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Shinde for inciting the police to fire directly on the mob, in which two Muslim youths were killed and more than 70 injured, including the policemen. The government has ordered a stop to the construction work at the police station and has ordered a high level two-week probe to find out who owns the disputed land. Ther government added that they would also give compensation to the next of kin of those killed and injured in the violence. The police commissioner is camping in Bhiwandi, while Director General of Police P.S. Pasricha is monitoring the situation from Bombay. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, deputy chief minister and home minister R. R. Patil and some ministers of the Maharashtra government are reported to be shortly visiting Bhiwandi to take stock of the situation.
|
