A Mumbai metropolitan court Sunday extended till Aug 24 the police custody of 23 people arrested in connection with violence at Mumbai's Azad Maidan earlier this month, a lawyer said here.
Magistrate P.S. Rathod extend the police custody of the accused as investigators contended that they need to find out the "intention and the motive" behind the violence.
Two people were killed and another 100 injured as a protest by several Muslim organisations to condemn the alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and the Assam riots turned violent Aug 11. The 23 accused were booked Aug 12.
"The court has extended their crime branch custody till Aug 24," said Abdul Wahab Khan, who appeared for one of the accused.
On Aug 16, police arrested one more accused, Salim Allarakha Choukiya alias Ali, 23, for allegedly snatching and firing a police weapon during the violence. Ali was identified through CCTV footage and remanded to police custody till Aug 24.
All 24 accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, molestation, physical attacks on police and public, damage to public and private properties, theft of government weapons, unlawful assembly and other charges.