Mumbai, Aug 12 (IBNS): At least 24 people were arrested for indulging in violence on Saturday during an agitation to decry the Assam situation even as the Mumbai Crime branch has begun probing the cause of the protest turning violent and causing two deaths.
The probe was ordered by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
While 24 people were taken into custody, police are trying to gauge the cause of the agitation turning violent.
According to some media reports, several women cops were also molested by some members of the crowd that turned violent.
At least two people were killed and 50 injured on Saturday in violence that erupted at the protest meeting in Mumbai organised to decry the Assam violence.
The protest meeting was at Azad Maidan in Mumbai but it turned violent in the afternoon and police had to fire in the air and resort to lathicharge to control the mob.
Large number of protesters assembled at the venue on Saturday following a call by an organization called Raza Academy to denounce the ongoing Assam violence.
However, the protest meeting turned violent at around 3:30 pm leading to attacks on vehicles and mediapersons.
Several vehicles, including media vans, were damaged.
According to reports, 10 BEST buses and even police vehicles were damaged during the incident.
A police vehicle was reportedly torched by the protesters.
Reports said some OB vans of media houses were also set on fire.
Media and cops were the target of the people at the maidan who turned violent.
The State Reserve Police and riot control police controlled the situation.
A red alert has been issued across Maharashtra.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to all states to be vigilant about Assam related protests.
At least 77 people have been killed in the ongoing clashes between the Bodos and Muslim settlers in Assam in the last one month.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also visited the the affected areas of the state recently.
