NEW BOMBAY, 17 March 2006 — Five persons were killed and 75 injured in violent clashes between two groups of people on the outskirts of Bombay yesterday. The police opened fire to disperse warring mob who had indulged in heavy stone pelting and arson in the village of Ghansoli, four kilometers from Vashi in New Bombay.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Amar Jadhav was injured and was admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Hospital (MGM) in a semi-conscious condition after sustaining head injuries. Police Inspector Shamsher Pathan of Rabale Police Station had lost 10 teeth and was also admitted to the hospital, together with migrant labor leader Narendra Patil, who too was in a serious condition.
The violence broke out Wednesday during celebrations to mark Holi, the Indian festival of colors, the police said. The clashes continued through the night with hundreds of people gathering at Ghansoli.
Police in New Bombay imposed a dawn-to -dusk curfew in Ghansoli, following reports of troublemakers trying to inflame the issue.
The police also imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code which bars the assembly of five or more persons, taking out processions and any other activity deterrent to public interest.
The violence was sparked when some migrant workers smeared Holi colors on one of the village girls against her wishes, the police said. The villagers retaliated by attacking residences of the migrant workers.
Soon the warring factions indulged in stone pelting, resulting in injuries to several people from both the groups.
The angry mob then set ablaze several vehicles parked in the vicinity and also shops belonging to the Muslim community, who later retaliated.
The violence found echo in the ongoing budget session of the State Legislative Council, with People’s Republican Party (PRP) legislator Jogendra Kawade raising the issue and demanding a statement from the government.
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R.R. Patil said that the situation was tense but under control in New Bombay and that additional police forces were rushed to the trouble spot to assist local police in maintaining law and order.
The police have issued serious warning that any attempts to inflame the situation further would be dealt with.
Acting on intelligence reports, the state government has put the police on alert in the neighboring cities of Bombay, Pune, Thane, Aurangabad and Solapur.
