18 police personnel injured during stone-pelting amid late-night demolition drive against 11 unauthorised religious structures in PCMC’s Kudalwadi area

Pune: A late-night demolition drive by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), targeting 11 unauthorised structures —five mosques, five temples and an akhada (wrestling facility) attached to a temple — in Chikhali’s Kudalwadi area triggered violence on Monday, leaving at least 19 people injured, including 18 police personnel.

The operation, carried out in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday under heavy police protection, witnessed strong resistance from a section of local residents. The situation escalated into stone-pelting, prompting police to carry out a mild lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.

Police have registered an FIR against two identified individuals, who were apprehended at the spot, and around 300 to 500 unidentified persons for allegedly participating in the violence.

The case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to assault on public servants and unlawful assembly and mischief, along with sections of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

In an official statement, the Pimpri Chinchwad police said two policemen suffered injuries requiring stitches, while five others suffered minor injuries after a police vehicle came under stone-pelting. Police sources, however, said the total number of injured personnel was higher and that most of the 19 injured were discharged after receiving first aid.

“Two policemen required stitches, while five suffered minor injuries,” a senior police officer said.

Vitthal Salunkhe, senior police inspector of Chikhali police station, said the two accused were arrested and remanded to two days of police custody. “Further investigation is underway,” he said.

According to civic officials, the demolition covered 11 unauthorised structures spread across 28,001sqft in the Kudalwadi, Chikhali and Pawar Vasti areas, which fall under the municipal corporation’s K and F ward jurisdictions. The operation began shortly after midnight to minimise law-and-order issues and continued until sunrise on Tuesday.

The action comes barely a month after the civic body demolished four illegal religious structures — two mosques and two temples — in the same locality.

PCMC had issued notices to 31 unauthorised religious structures in the area, including 18 mosques and 13 temples, in April 2025. No action was taken at the time, and the structures were also spared during the corporation’s large-scale anti-encroachment drive in Kudalwadi in Feb 2025, when more than 4,000 illegal scrapyards, industrial sheds and other unauthorised establishments spread across over 900 acres were razed.

Of the 31 religious structures served notices, 15 have now been demolished — seven mosques and seven temples. Action against the remaining structures is likely after pending appeals before various authorities are decided.

Niyaz Siddiqui, president of Raza Masjid Trust, said six mosques had challenged the notices before the Waqf Board.

“The Waqf Board has stayed any coercive action against these mosques until the next hearing scheduled on June 24,” he said, adding that the matter has been under consideration for nearly six months and that PCMC has also appeared before the authority.

Siddiqui maintained that the structures stand on land legally owned by private individuals or trusts and have been classified as unauthorised only because they lack municipal building permissions.

“These structures are not obstructing any road or public project. The civic body should consider regularising them. We are willing to comply with any process prescribed by the authorities since the land ownership is undisputed and the issue pertains only to construction approvals,” he said.

Local resident Uday Patil said he has never witnessed a situation like this in the area in all the years. “I was born and brought up in Kudalwadi, but I have never seen anything like this. It seems that all rules are being enforced only in Kudalwadi. Across the city, there are several unauthorised structures, including religious establishments, some of which obstruct roads, development projects and even the natural flow of rivers. Yet, no action is taken against them,” Patil said.

He alleged that the religious structures in Kudalwadi are being selectively targeted. “Places of worship are closely linked to people’s sentiments. Such actions create resentment among residents and disrupt social harmony,” he said.

He also questioned the timing of the demolition drive. “If the civic body intended to act against these structures, it should have carried out the operation during the day instead of in the middle of the night,” he said.

Police sources said several activists and influential local figures were detained as a preventive measure before the operation began.

PCMC municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi defended the action, stating that the administration would continue to act firmly against illegal constructions.

“Removing unauthorised structures without compromise is essential for the planned and sustainable development of the city. No illegal construction will be protected by the administration,” he said, urging residents to obtain all necessary permissions before undertaking any construction activity.