Thane farmers oppose land acquisition

Mumbai: Irate farmers from at least four villages near Kalyan went on a rampage around 9.30 am on Thursday, targeting police personnel and torching their vehicles.

The Thane police had to resort to firing pellet guns and carrying out lathi-charges. The villagers — who were protesting against the Navy’s decision to build a wall around the periphery of an old British-era airstrip — were given permission to conduct peaceful protests by the local Hill Line police station, but they had armed themselves with stones and lathis.

At least 12 policemen, including three officers along with the assistant commissioner of police Sunil Patil, were injured in the violence at Bhal, Khoni, Nevale and Rawal Pada villages. “The villagers set ablaze a SRPF bus, a police van and three other vehicles. Each of the four villages had a mob of around 2,000 people and violence broke out at all the four spots,” said Pratap Dighavkar, additional commissioner of police, Thane.

The protest sparked off when the Navy began fencing the land, which the farmers claim is illegal. Minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamare has called a meeting on June 29 to address the claims.