The Mumbai police on Wednesday arrested 19 more persons for their alleged involvement in the August 11 riots.
With this, the total number of people arrested in connection with the riots went up to 43. However, the police has not managed to find the people, who vandalised the Amar Jawan memorial.
“The arrested accused were involved in setting fire to an outdoor broadcasting vehicle and were also responsible for stone pelting, arson and other act of violence.
Of the 19, two were produced before court on Wednesday, and were remanded to police custody till August 28,” said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police, crime.
Mr Roy said that of the 19 arrested, three were from Gareeb Nagar in Bandra (east), one from Wadala, five from Kurla (west), five from Makrai Pada in Malad (east), two from Sewri Koliwada and three from Shivaji Nagar, Govandi.
“We have identified them on the basis of CCTV footage from the GRP and BMC building. Some of the accused were also arrested based on the statements given by the accused arrested earlier in the case,” Mr Roy said.
When asked if any of the arrested accused were involved in molesting the women police personnel, Mr Roy said, “It can be ascertained only after the women identify them,” he said.
The crime branch on Wednesday recorded the statement of Maulana Niyamat Noori, who was one of the five speakers at the rally.
“He delivered the first speech on the dais. He works with a mosque in Bandra (east). We are taking a legal opinion on whether his speech was inflammatory in nature,” he said.
Moreover, Mr Roy said that around 69 motorcycles were parked at Azad Maidan, of which many have not been claimed.
“If owners do not come forward by themselves we will anyway trace them. We will go through the CCTV footage to check if they are involved in the rioting,” he added.