Mumbai Demolition of Slum Structures Turns Violent Near Bandra East

A court-ordered demolition drive in Mumbai turned violent on Wednesday as residents of a long-standing slum clashed with police, leaving multiple people injured. The operation, aimed at clearing hundreds of structures from railway land in the Bandra East area, escalated when authorities began dismantling a three-story mosque.

The Western Railway, acting on a Bombay High Court directive, launched the large-scale anti-encroachment operation on Tuesday in the Garib Nagar slum adjacent to Bandra railway station. Officials stated the drive targets approximately 500 unauthorized hutments spread across 5,200 square meters of railway land, with the goal of clearing the area for critical infrastructure expansion. By Wednesday, authorities reported about 60 percent of the demolition work was complete.

Tensions erupted on the second day when demolition teams moved to pull down the mosque, which officials described as an illegal structure on railway property. A large crowd of residents gathered in protest. Police said the situation turned violent when some individuals began pelting stones, utensils, and other objects at security personnel and demolition squads. Officials reported that at...