A large anti-encroachment drive in Mumbai’s Bandra East triggered anger, clashes with police and multiple arrests after authorities moved to clear parts of the densely populated Garib Nagar slum near Bandra Station.
The Western Railway, along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Police, launched the demolition operation on May 19 to reclaim nearly 5,200 to 5,300 square metres of land for railway expansion and connectivity projects linked to Bandra Terminus and the Bandra Kurla Complex.
Officials stated that around 85% of the structures, including homes and shops, were demolished within three days. Western Railway Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said the drive followed Bombay High Court orders. He added that around 100 structures were left untouched following court directions.
The operation drew criticism from residents and civil society activists. Families appealed to officials to allow them time to remove household belongings before bulldozers moved in. A widely shared video showed an elderly woman grieving over the destruction of her home and saying she could not recover a religious scripture from the debris.
Activist-journalist Siraj Noorani criticised the demolition, describing scenes of displaced families sitting in open grounds with their belongings while watching their homes collapse.
Tensions escalated on May 20 after residents allegedly protested against the demolition of an illegal religious structure.