500-Strong mob ransacks toll naka
Thane, Mar 12 : A 500-strong mob of villagers today ransacked the newly set up Toll collection naka in Waghote village on the Wada Manor road, district rural police said.
Police officials at the district control said the mob went on rampage, totally destroying the colletion booths.
The villagers were annoyed over the addition of one more toll naka taking the total to 18 in the district and stated that the toll collection had been started by Supreme Infrastructure even when the work on the road was still to be completed.
The agitation, mostly by Congressmen, was led by local leader Nilesh Sambre. The police said when the mob went violent, one of the employees of the toll collection agent pulled out his revolver and fired in the air to scare the riotous mob.
The firing further aggravated the situation and the mob turned towards him and bashed him up, police added.
The situation was under control now and traffic on the highway had resumed. The toll collection centre had started functioning from this month.
PI S N Dhumal of the Wada police station, assisted by his counterparts from Manor, rushed to the scene and took charge of the situation.
The police have taken into custody nearly six persons in connection with rioting, police said, adding that offences were registered in connection with the incident.