Overnight drama at Aarey Colony in Mumbai ends in arrests

Hours after the Bombay high court (HC) cleared the way for Mumbai Metro Railway Corporation (MMRC) to cut 2,646 trees for the Metro-3 project, Aarey Milk Colony brought together hundreds of nature lovers, activists, environmentalists, students and local residents from across the city. While MMRC started cutting trees, people gathered to protest and by the end of Friday night, around 100 people had been detained and 29 were arrested. On Saturday morning, Section 144 was imposed in Goregaon. Since Friday night, activists claim more than 2,000 trees have been axed by MMRC.

On October 4, hours after the Bombay high court dismissed the petitions challenging the cutting of 2,646 trees for the Metro-3 car shed, MMRC started felling trees in Aarey.

“MMRC started cutting trees at 7pm yesterday, which went on till 8.30pm after which protests broke out. Workers fled the scene following which the police were called,” said Swapnil Pawar, an Aarey resident. As the news spread via social media, protestors gathered at Aarey and many were detained. “I was talking to two students at the entrance of Aarey when the police picked me up and detained me at Vanrai police station for around five hours,” said Cassandra Nazareth, an entrepreneur.

Environmentalist Sanjiv Valsan was detained at 9pm on Friday and released by midnight. “It seemed like the police had orders from the government to be brutal to anyone standing to save trees to prevent us from going to the Supreme Court,” he said. “Till 3am, the police detained protestors. At 3.15am, they [MMRC} resumed cutting trees,” said Pawar.

Mumbai Police has denied allegations of high-handed behaviour.

Organisations like Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) and People’s Union for Civil Liberties worked through the night, going to police stations where protestors were detained. “Taking citizens to different police station seemed like a ploy to break the movement,” said advocate Ujaini Chatterjee of HRLN, adding that most detainees did not have any cases registered against them.

Twenty-nine protestors were arrested and on Saturday, the police registered a case under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant), 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of duty), and 143 and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. The arrested have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

“We have carried out so many protests in Aarey over the last five years but the police never treated citizens in such an inhuman manner,” said activist Amrita Bhattacharya.

At 6.30pm on Saturday, protesting environmentalists claimed only 86 of the total 2,646 trees were left to be felled. “We are deeply disappointed by the turn of events since yesterday,” said Stalin D, one of the petitioners in the Aarey case. “However, a citizens’ movement to save trees on such a large scale has never happened in the history of Mumbai. Citizens should not be ashamed that they didn’t win, but should see themselves as warriors.”