Saturday, February 12 2005 17:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Narmada Bachav Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar and eight other activists were rearrested by Shivaji Nagar police today (Feb 12, 2005) when they tried to hold another public meeting after being released from Deonar police station in Northeast Mumbai.

Patkar, who along with some activists and hundreds of slum dwellers, took out a demonstration from Deonar police station to Shivaji Nagar, held a public meeting in the premises where the hutments were demolished in January by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Nine of the activists, including Patkar, Leena Joshi, Prakash Reddy were taken to Chirag Nagar police station in Ghatkopar after they were rearrested at Shivaji Nagar, police said.

Earlier in the day, social activists, including Patkar and Vijaya Chauhan (who was an observer), were arrested along with 120 others for illegal assembly while protesting the demolition of slums by the BMC in Mumbai.

Patkar and others, who have been arrested for leading a tirade against BMC's demolition drive on February 2, have been lodged in the Deonar police station while few are kept in Shivaji Nagar police station, police said adding most of the arrested are women.

Patkar told reporters from Chirag Nagar police station that the police manhandled badly and lathi charged them.