An irate crowd, which also included women, attacked a police party that had gone to nab a notorious criminal in Thane in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team, including personnel from State Reserve Police Force, lanced a combing operation in Mumbra to nab Altab Zafri, wanted in connection with various criminal cases, they said.
Upon seeing the policemen, numbering more than a dozen, a group of locals attacked them with stones. The police swung into action and arrested eight members of the crowd, while the rest managed to flee from the spot.
Country-made revolvers and choppers among other weapons were recovered from those arrested, police added.