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No trouble in Bombay, but tension prevails

Our correspondent in Bombay

Bombay was peaceful today, barring one incident in suburban Bandra where a BEST bus was set afire by some miscreants.

Rumours of the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's arrest, however, kept everyone on their toes, even hammering the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex down 120 points. Shopkeepers pulled down their shutters early today fearing trouble, while newspaper offices were flooded with calls from worried office-goers.

Police later said the Bandra incident was a minor one and that nobody was hurt. The fire was quickly brought under control limiting the damage to the bus.

No arrests so far have been made in this connection. Police said they had no clue about the identity of the miscreants.

Police Commissioner M N Singh said he was yet to receive the orders of the Maharashtra government sanctioning the prosecution of the Sena chief. "We shall do what law requires us to do once we receive the papers. It could either be arrest or charge-sheeting," Singh said.

He clarified that the government does not have the power to order somebody's arrest. "The government can only sanction prosecution...the decision to arrest somebody is ours," he said.

Senior railway officials said there were no disruptions in railway services on both the Central and Western lines.

There was tension in central Bombay in the afternoon after rumours spread that the Shiv Sena had given a bandh call in Dadar and Parel.

ALSO SEE
All 3 Sena ministers at the Centre resign
Jethmalani says "no case" against Thackeray
No arrest now, PM assures Sena
Sena ministers, MPs warn of violence

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