Citizens and members of the New Link Road Forum saw the results of their tireless efforts to safeguard our precious mangroves bear fruit, when the long arm of the law finally arrested the culprits who destroyed mangroves, attacked and snatched away the cameras of Forum members and other Environmental Activists in 2010. Newspapers carried the report today.
2 arrested for 2010 attack on Dahisar locals protecting mangroves
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1 Oct 2013 Hindustan Times (Mumbai) page 1 Snehal Rebello snehal.rebello@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: The Borivli unit of the Mumbai crime branch on Friday arrested two people for allegedly assaulting activists protesting mangrove destruction across 425 hectares along New Link Road at Dahisar’s Gorai creek in May 2010.
Sanjay Bansode and Suhas Bandivdekar were arrested for snatching the activists’ cameras and deleting the photos of hacked mangroves. “They have been remanded in police custody till Tuesday,” said police inspector Sanjay Bhole.
A group of 100 people had surrounded six activists who had gone into the mangroves to check the extent of destruction, and had taken photographs as evidence. “We were threatened, assaulted, abused, and our cameras were taken away by the goons. We submitted video footage that was shot secretly to the police, which helped catch the assaulters,” said Harish Pandey of the New Link Road Residents Forum.
Figure 1 The road made by the builder to block sea water entering mangroves
Activists want builder to pay for hacking mangroves
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HT MUMBAI 1st October 2013 page 6: The six activists attacked and threatened by goons for surveying the damage to the Dahisar mangroves three years ago are demanding that the builder be held accountable for the act.
Two persons are in police custody for allegedly snatching cameras and deleting photographs of the destruction of mangroves across 425 hectares on New Link Road, adjoining the Gorai creek.
Sanjay Bansode and Suhas Bandivdekar were produced in a local court on Saturday and have been remanded in police custody till Tuesday, said police inspector Sanjay Bhole.
The case relates to Kandivlibased builder Ravi Shah, who in 2010 began repairing bunds defunct since 1993, following a Supreme Court ruling in his favour, which also directed the petitioner not to destroy the mangroves.
In May 2010, locals and environmentalists, while inspecting the extent to which mangroves were hacked, took photographs of a road laid in the midst of the mangroves in violation of environmental norms. A group of about 100 people surrounded them, snatched their cameras and threatened the activists.
Figure 2 Debris dumped in CRZ 1 Mangroves by Jayesh Shah, builder and his goons
Though nine arrests were made after the incident, this is the first time those involved directly in snatching the equipment and deleting the photographs have been arrested. “One of our members had placed a video camera inside a car, which captured the two goons,” said Harish Pandey, of the New Link Road Residents Forum. “The footage also shows the builder and his brother’s car, indicating their presence at the site. If the cameras have been destroyed, the evidence of mangrove destruction will be lost.”.
Police officials said some activists will be called to identify the two accused in the presence of the Tehsildar and court officials.
“But we want that the builder be charged and should not go scotfree,” said Pandey.
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