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Delayed trains coupled with the long pending demand for Diva-CST local service led to a violent rail-roko agitation at Diva railway station near Thane on Friday morning, Government Railway Police said.
Those injured in the resultant violence included 15 policemen and two motormen.
Thane and Dombivali GRP stations have registered FIRs against unidentified miscreants under IPC sections including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 353 (assault on public servant) and sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.
GRP Commissioner Ravinder Singal said, "Passengers were agitated as the trains were running late. As crowd swelled on the platforms, a group of irate commuters started pelting stones. Some held rail roko agitation. This brought the services to a standstill and only after the police removed the protesters from the tracks, the trains could ply."
Angry crowd outside the Diva railway station torched 5 vehicles and the police resorted to lathicharge, he said.
"Two four-wheelers -- one belonging to railway police and other to Thane city police -- and a two-wheeler of railway police were among the five vehicles that were set on fire," Singal said.
There were agitations at Thane, Dombivali and Kalyan stations on the Central suburban line too.
Miscreants damaged railway property including seven ATVMs (ticket vending machines) and 3 booking counters and level crossing gate boom at Diva. Two booking counters and 6 ATVMs at Dombivali railway station were also damaged.
"People were also angry because their demand for Diva-CST trains has not been addressed yet," Singal said.
Nobody has been arrested yet, he said, adding that "We will sift through the CCTVs installed at the stations to identify the culprits."
Image: Irate communters block train services at Diva railway station near Thane. Photograph: Sahil Salvi