There were sporadic acts of violence and stone pelting in the city during the ‘bandh’ called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today to protest revocation of the land transfer order by the Jammu and Kashmir government.

“At 11 am a few youths pelted stones at a BEST bus at the Milap Junction on SV Road,” said Senior Police Inspector Surandra Jaiswal from Kandivali police station. “A patrolling vehicle caught and arrested a 19-year-old youth, Anuj Vishwakarma, who was part of the gang, but the others managed to escape.”

Police Inspector Annasaheb Rajmane from Borivali police station said, “Our officers arrested 37 people on SV Road this morning after they indulged in a rasta roko. Though the whole event was peaceful, we had to arrest them for holding up traffic and causing public inconvenience. Another person was arrested for vandalising a dairy farm.” Eleven people were arrested at Malad for attempting a rasta roko in front of NL College on SV Road.

At Vakola, 50 were arrested for stone pelting and a rasta roko on SV Road, while at Sarvodaya Hospital in Ghatkopar, 58 persons were detained for a rasta roko. Fifty-three people were arrested by the VP Road police for conducting a rasta roko at Gulabwadi, Girgaon.

Around 10.30 am, activists chanting pro-Hindutva slogans, attacked the Jammu & Kashmir Government Arts Emporium in the Fort area. “There were 10 to 12 persons. Their faces were covered and they indulged in vandalism and damaged property. The management staff of the emporium fled. No arrest has been made so far,” said PI Manohar Patil of MRA Marg police station.

DCP (Enforcement) Sanjay Mohite said, “There have not been arrests in all cases. For example, at Ghatkopar people had just been detained whereas in areas like Kandivali, Borivali and Vakola, there were clear cases rioting and stone pelting and people were arrested.”