Tensions escalated in Mumbai’s Bandra area on Wednesday after protests broke out during a large-scale demolition drive targeting several structures, including hundreds of huts and a mosque, which authorities claimed were built on railway land. Police resorted to a lathi charge after demonstrators clashed with security personnel during the operation.
Several protesters were reportedly injured after police used batons to disperse the crowd. According to officials, nearly 50 to 60 people gathered at the site and began protesting against the demolition drive. Police alleged that some individuals also hurled stones at security personnel during the clashes.
Authorities said more than 1,000 police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order. Officials further stated that police have launched a crackdown to identify and detain those allegedly involved in the protest, with several suspects identified through facial recognition technology and local intelligence inputs.
Meanwhile, local Muslim residents alleged that police teams were conducting house-to-house searches in nearby localities and detaining individuals linked to the protest.
The Western Railway had launched the five-day “anti-encroachment drive” near Bandra railway station on Tuesday following directions from the Bombay High Court. According to railway officials, around 15 to 18 per cent of nearly 500 huts had been cleared during the first phase of the operation.
Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek told PTI that the drive aims to free nearly 5,300 square metres of railway land to restore the railway safety zone and facilitate future railway expansion projects. The demolition operation is scheduled to continue till May 23.
Railway authorities said the cleared land would be used for the development of an integrated complex at Bandra Terminus, one of Mumbai’s busiest railway stations. The proposed infrastructure project includes elevated roads, multi-storey buildings, additional railway platforms, and maintenance facilities.
In a statement, Western Railway said proceedings under the Public Premises Act in the matter began before 2017, and eviction orders were passed on November 27, 2017. Authorities stated that the issue underwent extensive judicial scrutiny over nearly nine years, including hearings before the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.
According to railway officials, the latest Bombay High Court order dated April 29, 2026, later upheld in subsequent proceedings and before the Supreme Court, permitted the removal of “unauthorised encroachments” while protecting structures identified as eligible during joint surveys.
