Citizens on Monday thronged Vanrai police station in Mumbai to protest the detention of people who were allegedly picked by police for clicking pictures and videos of trees being felled for the construction of metro car shed in Aarey colony. However, according to latest update, the detained people were released by the police.
Activists and citizens sat on a sit-in protest inside the police station demanding the release of people detained today.
The Aarey colony site has been an issue of contention since the Metro car shed, which was initially decided to be constructed in Aarey by the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2019 and later shifted in Kanjurmarg by the MVA government, has been again moved to Aarey by the new Eknath Shinde government.
Protestors have been gathering at Aarey every Sunday to protest the decision by the Maharashtra government.
Earlier in the day, large police deployment was observed around the Aarey area along with heavy barricading. One of the residents in Aarey had told HW News that the felling of trees have began outside the car shed area. The activists alleged that the trees are being cut so that Train cars could be transported.
In their clarification, the police had said that “various works being carried out by the MMRC and MCGM and for the safety of public and motorist travelling through Aarey colony under Dindoshi Traffic Division.”
Ruben Mascarenhas, the working president of AAP’s Mumbai unit, had taken to Twitter to inform that he was at the Vanrai police station where protestors were detained. “There is no detention order, no written communication. We wr earlier told that they will be left in the evening at 5:30pm. Have been following up with the DCP,” Mascarenhas had said.
However, Mascarenhas later informed that all 4 detainees had been released by police. “All of this was needless. We are all law abiding citizens. Mumbai Police has always been cooperative. Such wrongful detentions create an atmosphere of fear and send out a wrong message. Hope better sense will prevail,” the AAP leader wrote.
All 4 detainees have been released.
All of this was needless. We are all law abiding citizens. Mumbai Police has always been cooperative. Such wrongful detentions create an atmosphere of fear and send out a wrong message.
Hope better sense will prevail.#SaveAarey https://t.co/Hnz6Hm9WuQ
— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) July 25, 2022
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