Mumbai: Over 30 policemen sustained injuries in the city on Wednesday during the protest called by various Dalit groups, a senior police official said on Thursday.
Most of the injuries were a result of stones pelted on police personnel, said an official.
He added that Powai and Govandi in the north-eastern part of the city saw the maximum number of cases with 11 policemen sustaining injuries in areas around Powai.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sahaji Umap of Zone VI said that 11 personnel were injured in Govandi and adjoining areas.
Police officials said that 16 First Information Reports (FIR) had been registered under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act, the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act and the Indian Penal Code.
An official said that more than 300 people had been detained as part of the investigations into the incidents that occurred during the protests. The bandh was called on Wednesday following violence in Pune district on January 1 when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwa's army.
Members of the Rajya Sabha on Thursday condemned the spate of caste violence in Maharashtra and demanded an impartial and speedy judicial inquiry to punish the culprits.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had asked the members to help bring the situation under control and not say anything which may escalate tension.
The House, which had witnessed disruption of proceedings over the issue on Wednesday, held a brief discussion when several members appealed for peace and unity among the various sections of the society.
Meanwhile, police on Thursday denied permission to a summit scheduled to be addressed by Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and JNU student leader Umar Khalid and detained students gathered outside a hall here for the event.
A police official said the number of students and activists detained was not yet available.
In a related development, the Pune Police registered an FIR against Mevani and Khalid for their alleged "provocative" speeches at an event in Pune on December 31. More reports on P6