Source: Hueiyen News Service
Mumbai, December 03 2009:
A man died when hundreds of people protesting against water cuts in Mumbai were beaten with batons by the police on Thursday for allegedly breaking barricades.
At least 10 protesters were hurt in the police action near the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in south Mumbai.
The BMC recently imposed a 15 percent cut in water supply to residential areas, claiming lakes in the city were going dry.
A senior police officer claimed the dead protester had suffered a heart attack.
Authorities said the riot police was forced to disperse the protesters, as they allegedly tried to force their way into the BMC headquarters.
The agitators from several parts of the city and its suburbs had started collecting in front of the BMC office since noon under the umbrella of an NGO, 'Swabhiman'.
Waving red flags and shouting slogans against BMC, the agitators pulled down barricades put up by the police and tried to barge into the Corporation headquarters, prompting the security personnel to lathicharge.