Conspiracy to instigate cops suspected

The Mumbai police crime branch is now conducting a probe to see if there was a larger conspiracy behind the violence at Azad Maidan on August 11, which left 2 dead and 63 injured.

The Mumbai police crime branch is now conducting a probe to see if there was a larger conspiracy behind the violence at Azad Maidan on August 11, which left 2 dead and 63 injured.

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Sources in the crime branch said that they were now looking into the possibility of those involved in the violence trying to instigate the police to take drastic steps, which would have translated into unrest in the city and state. Officials added that they still needed to probe this lead.

Investigation so far has revealed that the violence was pre-planned and those who created trouble came armed with fuel, knives and rods from Jogeswari, Antop Hill, Govandi and Bandra.

Officials also suspect that the plan was to damage public property, attack the media and the police. Had the police retaliated, the trouble would have spread.

The police are still to invoke the penal code section on conspiracy against the accused. “Only when we have proper evidence we will think of applying the section,” sources said.