20 policemen injured, vehicles damaged in stone pelting during removal of place of worship in Nashik

NASHIK: Over 20 policemen were injured, and three police vehicles were damaged in stone pelting by a group of people protesting the Nashik Municipal Corporation's (NMC) action of removal of a place of worship at Kathe Galli in Nashik city around 2am on Wednesday.
The police had to resort to lathi charge and lobbed tear gas shells to quell the violent mob and bring the situation under control.
On Feb 22, the NMC, based on a Bombay high court order, had removed encroachments around the structure in the Kathe Galli area along the Pune highway but the main structure was not removed then owing to protest and tension.
Around 2 am on Wednesday, NMC officials and personnel along with a strong posse of policemen arrived at the site to remove the structure. However, as people in the area got to know about the action, they gathered in hundreds to stop the demolition. Some senior members of the community tried to pacify the crowd, but stones were pelted on the police.
Nashik city police commissioner Sandeep Karnik said, "As per the High Court order, the process of removing the religious structure was taken up by the NMC with strict police bandobast. A violent mob gathered to oppose the removal of the structure and pelted stones at the police and the community leaders, who went to pacify them."
The police resorted to lathi charge and used tear gas to disperse the mob and controlled the situation. The CP added that the structure was razed early on Wednesday morning.
"The process of registering an FIR in connection with the violence is ongoing," Karnik added.
Meanwhile, vehicular traffic has been barred on the road in front of the razed religious structure till April 18.