Mumbai police serve notices prohibiting unlawful assembly to Aarey protestors

The Mumbai police have started serving notices under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to people gathering to stage demonstrations against the construction of the metro car shed at Aarey colony here, an official said on Sunday.

The city police have started issuing notices under section 149 of the CrPC, prohibiting unlawful gathering at the protest venue in the western suburb of Goregaon, he said.

Notices have been served to two protestors, Tabrez Sayyed and Jayesh Bhise, in the last two days warning them not to assemble unlawfully and violate the law, the official said.

Hundreds of protestors, including women and senior citizens, have been staging demonstrations with placards and “Save Aarey” banners. A few people were seen with placards appealing to the newly elected President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and save the forest area in the city.

The police have barricaded the venue and no one is allowed to go near the car shed site, the official said.

Amrita Bhattacharya, one of the protestors, said “People come to the protest venue from different parts of the city and the police have been taking down their names and addresses to serve them a notice.” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone 12 Somnath Gharge said, “Leaders, chiefs of NGOs and people heading various groups have been approaching the police seeking permission to stage demonstrations. Hence, we issued notices under section 149 of the CrPC just to warn them to maintain law and order.”

Soon after assuming office, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the state administration to submit a proposal to build the Metro-3 car shed in Aarey Colony instead of Kanjurmarg.

The previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had shifted the proposed car shed site to Kanjurmarg from Aarey Colony on the ground of environment protection, but the issue got embroiled in a legal dispute.