Mumbai:
The Special Investigating Team or SIT of the Mumbai Crime Branch, which is probing the August 11 violence, has arrested both the rioters responsible for desecrating the Amar Jawan Jyoti Memorial.
Abdul Sheikh, the second rioter, was arrested last night from Mahim in suburban Mumbai. The Crime Branch had earlier on Monday arrested Abdul Qadir while he was planning to flee to Nepal.
The Crime Branch has also arrested two other accused taking the total tally of arrests to 57, including three who have been discharged by the police.
The police is also considering slapping charges under the Prevention of Insult to National honour Act on those who desecrated the memorial.
According to the police, the total value of damage caused during the riots is approximately Rs 2.2 crore - this includes damage to buses owned by BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), other vehicles and media OB vans.
"This is the present figure, it might go up as we are still in the process of ascertaining the details of the claims made by people and matching it with the CCTV footage to cross verify if the vehicle was indeed damaged during the riots," said Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Crime Branch.
Though the police claims that prima facie the violence was planned, they still are in the process of identifying the group behind the violence that left two killed and over 65 injured including 45 policemen.