Mira Road communal clash: ‘Did not even get a chance to remove our stuff from shop’

Shops attacked on Tuesday evening in Shanti Nagar. Pics/Hanif Patel

Shop and stall owners in Naya Nagar in Mira Road told mid-day that they were devastated by Tuesday's action by Municipal Corporation (MBMC), where multiple allegedly illegal stalls were razed. One aggrieved resident Mohamad Abul Hussain Shaikh, who had been running a garage in the Naya Nagar area for 22 years, said, "I never received any notice before. They didn't even give us time to remove our machinery, resulting in damage worth around Rs 6 lakh. I lost my entire life savings in this incident."

Matiullah who works at a scrap shop received stitches to his head (right) Mohamad Umar, whose leg was injured

On Tuesday evening fresh riots occurred after a mob of 200-300 people attacked local shops in the neighbouring Shanti Nagar, pelting stones and forcing shop owners to close the shops. Despite the presence of cops and other deployed forces, they were unable to control the riots. As per the locals the cops deployed 2,500 personnel, SRPF, commandos, riot control teams, and Maharashtra Suraksh Bal, but they failed to prevent the riots in Shanti Nagar.

Shopkeepers speak
Mohamad Abul Hussain Shaikh, who had been running a garage in the Naya Nagar area for 22 years, said, "I never received any notice before. MBMC officers, accompanied by police, forcibly removed us from the garage and ran the bulldozer over it. They didn't even give us time to remove our machinery, resulting in damage worth around Rs 6 lakh, including a compressor, grinder machine, and polishing machine. I lost my entire life savings in this incident. We were not involved in the riots, but MBMC targeted us and demolished my garage."

Mob attacking a tempo on Tuesday evening

Two brothers, Mohamad Ukil Shaikh and Mushtaq Shaikh, who ran vegetable shops in Naya Nagar for the past 17-18 years, said, "We never experienced such an incident before. We suffered losses of R6-R7 lakh. Our veggies were damaged, along with the destruction of weighing machines. We don't have a place to sleep now, as we used to live in the shop. Since yesterday, we have been sleeping on the footpaths."

A man running a chicken shop in Naya Nagar, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "MBMC demolished my chicken shop, and 10 live chickens died after the bulldozer ran over them. I incurred losses of around Rs 1.5 lakh. I don't have a house, and I used to sleep in the shop, but now I have to sleep on the road."

Cops failed to stop riots
Despite the order from Deputy CM Devendra Fadanvis, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, deploying more than 2,500 personnel failed to stop the riots. On Tuesday morning, the forces conducted a march in Naya Nagar and other parts of Mira Road with arms, tear gas, and water attack machines. A local told mid-day, "This was only a show, and the police couldn't prevent the riots despite the massive deployment. Many shopkeepers decided to close their shops on Tuesday to avoid any untoward incidents."

Mob pelting stones on shop in Shanti Nagar

Additional CP Shrikant Pathak said, "MBVV cops have registered around 10 different FIRs and arrested 19 people in the last three days. We are also taking action against those spreading videos of riots with hate messages against the community. We are scanning CCTV footage and identifying more accused in such cases. We urge people not to share such videos, or we will take action."

Tuesday evening riots
An employee named Mohamad Umar, working in an optical shop in Shanti Nagar, received injuries on his leg after a mob pelted stones at him while he was working. Mohamad Umar said, "Around 9.30 pm, a mob on bikes came to the shop, started throwing stones, and injured my leg." "During the COVID time, I helped many people in the area and served food to the needy. This is wrong. Riots should not happen between two communities in Mira Road. We want peace," Mohamad Umar further added.

Another employee, Matiullah, working at a scrap shop, was beaten by the mob chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram' with saffron flags on Tuesday night. The mob caught him, hit him with a belt, and the hook of the belt hit his head, causing injuries. Matiullah received stitches on his head and expressed fear of another attack. He said, "I was not at fault; I was just doing my work. I want peace in the area."

Shamsher Alam, who runs a boutique shop in Shanti Nagar, said, "A mob of 200-300 people attacked the shop around 8 pm on Tuesday, chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram.' They first told us to close the shop and then attacked it, throwing stones and damaging glass gates. We want peace in the area and condemn those spreading hatred to disrupt law and order."

The stall looking through the ruins of the shop after they were demolished. Pic/Hanif Patel

Toy gun in rally
Police confirmed that the gun shown in a rally on the back road at Mira Road with a saffron flag was a toy gun. As of now, MBVV police have registered more than 10 FIRs against both communities and have arrested individuals from both sides in an effort to control the riots. Heavy police presence has been deployed in the area. On Wednesday, there were no reported riots in Mira Road, and the situation was under control.

Peace rally
Former MLA Narendra Mehta also announced a peace rally on January 26 at Mira Road after the clashes occurred between two communities. Mehta has invited all the communities to join in this rally for the country and to unite all communities.

19
No of people arrested so far