Five persons were arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting civic officials during an anti-hawker drive in the Kandivali area of Mumbai a day earlier, police said, according to PTI. A team of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials was conducting an eviction drive against illegal street vendors near Lokhandwala Circle on Friday night when a group of individuals allegedly chased and attacked them. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media.
Police said the driver of an earthmover deployed for the anti-encroachment operation was also assaulted by the mob during the incident. Following the attack, a case was registered at Samta Nagar police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Five persons were arrested in connection with the assault.
The accused have been identified as Kuldeep Singh (27), Mahendra Singh Chudavat (31), Shaurya Shailesh Charla (29), Jas Hitesh Charla (25), and Aslam Imtiaz Shaikh (27). Police said further investigation is underway.