Mumbai rioting was ‘planned’, 23 arrested

A day after violence at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan left two persons dead and 54 injured, the police on Sunday arrested 23 people and told a court the attack was premeditated.

A day after violence at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan left two persons dead and 54 injured, the police on Sunday arrested 23 people and told a court the attack was premeditated.

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The accused were sent to police custody till August 19 even as CM Prithviraj Chavan approached the Union home ministry and sought an intelligence probe to ascertain if there was “a foreign hand” in the violence.

The accused have been booked for attempt to murder, dacoity, rioting, molestation and other charges. Police have also invoked murder charges in the case because they suspect that one of the two persons killed was shot with bullets that do not belong to the police.

Saturday’s mob was protesting the killings of Muslims in Assam and Myanmar.