Cop injured, four detained as crowd attacks policemen at Shivaji Nagar

A policeman was injured when a team from Shivaji Nagar police station was attacked while dispersing a crowd, at 90 Feet road, Shivaji Nagar on Sunday. Four people were detained in connection with the incident.

Around 6.50 pm on Sunday, a police team, while patrolling, noticed a crowd had gathered near a junction in the densely populated slum area of Shivaji Nagar in Govandi. The police control room was informed and cops reached the spot. People attacked the policemen when asked to disperse.

“A crowd comprising of around 25 to 30 men and two women had gathered, violating lockdown rules. They began to raise anti-police slogans and pelted stones on the police team,” said Sudarshan Paithankar, senior police inspector, Shivaji Nagar police station.

A man attacked an inspector-rank officer with an iron rod, however, the policeman obstructed the attack aimed at his head with his right hand and injured himself, police said. “The crowd had gathered to shop. People also damaged a police vehicle parked there. Stones were also pelted on the cops but no one was injured,” said Paithankar.

The area falls under the M-East ward which is one of the worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in the city. The ward, which includes slum pockets of Deonar, Govandi, Bainganwadi, Shivaji Nagar and Cheetah Camp and the Deonar dumping ground, is spread across an area of 32.50sqkm.