Mob of 40-50 storms house in Nalasopara over dog-killing dispute, vandalises home and assaults residents

A mob of 40 to 50 unidentified people barged into a house in the Shriram Nagar area of Nalasopara and carried out large-scale vandalism and assault, in an incident that grew out of a quarrel over the killing of a dog.

The incident took place at around 9.30 pm on Monday. Fear and tension have spread across Shriram Nagar and persist.

The roots of the dispute lie in an incident on 1 November, when two groups clashed over the killing of a dog and the quarrel turned physical. A case was registered at Pelhar police station in that matter.

Holding on to the anger from that quarrel, the group of 40 to 50 unidentified people suddenly entered a house at around 9.30 pm on Monday. They ransacked the household's belongings on a large scale and created a commotion.

Pelhar police reached the spot on being informed, but by then all the attackers had fled.

Considering the seriousness of the matter, Deputy Commissioner of Police Shantanu Borate visited the spot and took stock of the situation. A heavy police deployment has been put in place across the area.

Before fleeing, the attackers openly threatened to attack again. Frightened by the threat, several families have left their homes and moved to other safe places.

Police are now trying to identify the accused from CCTV footage in the area, and a determined search for them is under way.