Notices served to journalist, 4 others for obstructing slum demolition in Mumbai

On Monday evening, the BKC police lodged an FIR against the journalist for alleged unlawful assembly, causing grievous hurt and obstructing them while carrying out demolition work.

The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police have served notices to five women, including a freelance journalist, for allegedly instigating slum dwellers to protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police while they were carrying out a demolition drive in Santacruz (East) on Monday.

Assistant commissioner of police, BKC division, Arun Mane, told HT, “We have served notices to the accused, informing them about the FIR filed against them. As they are women, we did not arrest them. They have been asked to be present before the police station. We will then produce them before a magistrate court.”

On Monday evening, the BKC police lodged an FIR against the journalist for alleged unlawful assembly, causing grievous hurt and obstructing them while carrying out demolition work.

According to the BKC police, BMC officials were carrying out demolition work around 1pm demolishing encroachments in slums at Ambedkar Nagar, Santacruz (East), when the slum dwellers obstructed their work and manhandled the cops, including a lady constable who was bitten.

The journalist, who was at the spot, has been booked for abetting the crime. She said that she has been falsely implicated and was manhandled by the cops. She was detained at the police station for seven hours.