Shiv Sena activists vandalised the office of the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) on Saturday afternoon, to protest an article published by the group’s Marathi newspaper.
According to the Azad Maidan police, a mob of around 50 Shiv Sainiks marched to the BCCL’s office near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus(CST) railway station at around 1.30 pm on Saturday. They barged into the lobby of the office building and attempted to go to the second floor, where the Marathi daily Maharashtra Times is located. However, they were stopped in the lobby itself by the building’s security guards.
Meanwhile, the Azad Maidan police station was informed about the incident and teams were rushed to the spot. The policemen, along with the security guards, drove the mob out of the building. However, by then, the mob had broken several pieces of furniture and also burnt copies of the Maharashtra Times’ Saturday issue.
“We have arrested 16 people so far and more arrests are possible,” said police spokesperson DCP Nisar Tamboli.