1 killed as cops beat up water rally in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A game of one-upmanship in Mumbai politics took away a life on Thursday after the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse demonstrators, led by Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh Rane, in front of the BMC headquarters. Planned in the wake of Mr Rane’s candidate’s humiliating defeat in Mumbai mayoral elections two days ago, the agitation took a violent turn forcing police to use force.

Vishal Dholakia, 43, reportedly died of head injuries he sustained in the lathi charge. The police authorities, however, attributed his death to heart attack.

The agitation was apparently a desperate exercise by Mr Rane to settle score with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP after the defeat of Congress candidate in the mayoral poll earlier this week. The Congress nominee was a Rane protege.
Mr Nitesh Rane, who is eyeing a political debut following the footsteps of his elder brother Nilesh, a Congress MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg , was clearly out to exploit politically the 15% water cut announced by the BMC to make up for the scarcity. Waving red flags and shouting slogans against the BMC, agitators, under the banner of Mr Rane’s NGO “Swabhiman” , tried to storm the civic headquarters.

Additional commissioner of police R K Padmanabhan said the crowd turned unruly, forcing the police to use minimal force. “They engaged in vandalism outside BMC office and could have gone out of control if allowed inside,” Mr Padmanabhan said. Some of the agitators were trying to force open gates at the BMC building.

The deceased Dholakia apparently had some medical condition and died of heart attack, the police said. Superintendent of G T Hospital, where Dholakia was admitted, A V Kulkarni, said the deceased did not have any injury marks on his body. Asked what could possibly be the reason behind Dholakia’s death, he said it would be clear only after a postmortem examination . He said nine of the wounded demonstrators were undergoing treatment at the hospital but refused to comment on their condition.

Mr Nitesh Rane, meanwhile, was arrested, police said. He was later released on bail by a local court. Earlier Rane Jr had threatened municipal authorities saying ‘Swabhiman’ would not allow the mayor, BMC commissioner and corporators to move around if the water cut was not rescinded.