Thane mob violence: Power firm guard beaten to death, 3 cops injured in attack in 2 incidents
Thane, Jul 4: A private power company's security guard was beaten to death allegedly by a group of villagers during a drive against electricity bill defaulters, while three policemen were injured in an attack by a mob in a separate incident here in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.
The incidents took place over the last two days in the Bhiwandi powerloom town.
On Saturday, some staff members of the power company along with its security guard Tukaram Pawar went to Katai area of Kaneri village in Bhiwandi to take action against those who had not paid their electricity bills, an official from Nizampura police station said.
A group of 10-15 villagers allegedly beat up the power firm staffers severely and prevented them from cutting their electricity supply, he said.
Pawar received severe injuries in the attack. He was rushed to the IGM Hospital in Bhiwandi where doctors declared him brought dead, the official said.
The Nizampura police sent the body for postmortem and have so far registered a case of accidental death.
The police official said they were waiting for the postmortem report to take further action into the case.
The victim's son alleged lapses on part of the power company, leading to his father's death.
However, the power firm's public relations officer Chetan Bijlani said it was a usual drive against defaulters, hence police protection was not sought for it.
"In case of special drives, we seek police protection," he said.
In another incident, three policemen were injured in an attack by a mob on Friday while they were trying to nab a criminal at Kasai Wada in Bhiwandi on Friday.
A joint team of the Gujarat police and Bhiwandi crime branch, in plain clothes, had gone in search of Jamil Qureshi (38), against whom criminal offences were registered by Valsad police in the neighbouring state.
In a bid to evade arrest, Qureshi jumped out of the window of his flat, located on the fourth floor of a building, and died, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhiwandi Zone, Yogesh Chavan said.
The family members of the deceased and locals subsequently came out in the locality and alleged that the policemen pushed him to death.
The irate mob also allegedly manhandled some policemen, the official said.
Some videos, purportedly showing a number of men and women beating up policemen and hitting them with stones, went viral on social media.
A sub-inspector and two constables from the Bhiwandi police team received injuries in the incident and they were taken to a local hospital for treatment, Chavan said.
The Nizampura police have identified the culprits and registered a case under IPC sections for rioting, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, wrongful restraint, and other relevant provisions.
"It is a sensitive area, hence police will take appropriate action while ensuring law and order is not disturbed. The situation in the locality is under control," the official said.
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India eye U17 Women's Asian Cup history in decisive Lebanon clash
Suzhou (China) (PTI): Having lost to two continental heavyweights, India face a must-win game against Lebanon in the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup here on Friday, knowing that victory could seal a first-ever qualification to the knockout stage of the competition.
After losing to Australia (0-2)and Japan (0-3) in Group B, the equation for India has become clear: one final match and one final chance to make the quarter-finals.
India are alive in the race for the knockout stage as one of the two best third-placed teams.
India currently hold a superior goal difference of -5 compared to Group C sides Philippines (-13) and Chinese Taipei (-14), who face each other on the final matchday.
That means either side would require a heavy-margin victory to overtake India’s goal difference if the Young Tigresses defeat Lebanon.
Furthermore, if Thursday evening's Group A fixture between Vietnam and Myanmar ends in a draw or the latter wins by less than three goals, India will confirm their place in the last eight with a victory, irrespective of the Group C result.
For India, playing their first AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup in 21 years, progressing beyond the group stage would mark a historic achievement.
Head coach Pamela Conti expects a very different challenge against Lebanon compared to the previous two matches.
The Italian believes the contest will demand more attacking flair since both teams require a win to qualify.
The West Asians, making their debut in the tournament, opened with a 0-13 loss against Japan, followed by a sensational point in a 1-1 draw with Australia.
"I watched Lebanon's game against Australia that ended 1-1. They are a team at our level, but they have very good attacking players. We need to be careful and not open up too much, because they can hurt us on the counter-attack," said Conti.
Unlike the opening two matches, where India spent large phases defending deep against physically and technically superior opponents, the Young Tigresses now have to play with greater attacking intent.
On Wednesday, the girls had recovery sessions indoors in the gym and the swimming pool. On Thursday, they had a 90-minute official training session involving tactical and set-piece work, and small-sided games.
Conti revealed that the team had long anticipated this decisive final group-stage encounter.
"I expect the girls to continue working hard and giving everything. I trust them a lot. We have prepared for this. We knew our qualification would come down to the match against Lebanon, and now we must give it everything," she said.
The stakes are not lost on the squad.
For a generation returning India to the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup after more than two decades, the possibility of reaching the quarter-finals would represent another milestone in what has already been a landmark year for Indian women's football across senior, U20 and U17 levels.
While the former two could not make the last eight in their respective tournaments earlier this year, the U17 now have the golden opportunity to make it happen.
"If we qualify, it will be an incredible achievement for everyone, and for the country. We are focused on giving that joy to the nation. I hope it happens for the staff, for us, and especially for the players, because they are the protagonists," Conti said.
