33 Arrested, 200 Charged Over Violence At Funeral Procession In Mumbai

Nearly 200 people have been charged with and 33 of them arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly attacking policemen and damaging vehicles during the funeral procession of a man who committed suicide after being unable to trace his teen daughter, an official said today. 

Around seven police personnel were injured in the attack on Tuesday, he said.

Pancharam Rithadiya, 44, allegedly committed suicide last week by jumping in front of a running train at Tilak Nagar railway station after not being able find his 17-year-old daughter missing since some months.

In the suicide note, he purportedly mentioned that the police did not help him in tracing his daughter.

After his death, Wadala GRP registered an offence of abatement to suicide against five persons.

During his funeral procession to a crematorium in suburban Chembur on Tuesday, mourners allegedly hurled stones at the police and also vandalised a police van and some other vehicles, additional commissioner of police (east region) Lakhmi Gautam told news agency PTI.

"Seven police personnel, including four officers, were injured in the attack," he said.

A police van, a taxi, a car, 10 to 12 motorcycles and three auto-rickshaws were damaged in the incident, another police official said. The police lodged an FIR late Tuesday night against nearly 200 people and arrested 33 of them, Mr Gautam said.

"Till now, 33 people have been arrested. We are analysing the CCTV footage and some videos which have gone viral on social media to identify the others involved in the violence," he said.

The accused have been booked under various sections like rioting, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

A police official on Tuesday said some mourners trailing the procession suddenly tried to block the road at Umarshi Bappa Chowk in Chembur.

As the police personnel tried to remove the protesters, some of them ran to a nearby under-construction building and hurled stones, injuring two police constables and an officer of Traffic Police, he said. Eye-witnesses earlier claimed that people got provoked when a policeman shoved a woman mourner with a stick.