Heavy stone pelting was resorted to by MNS activists on Tuesday outside a magistrate court in suburban Bandra where the party chief Raj Thackeray was produced after his arrest in Ratnagiri.

Despite heavy police presence, a large number of people pelted stones outside the court on Tuesday noon, injuring a newschannel cameraman. Police also cane charged MNS hundreds of MNS activists hundereds outside the Bandra court to disperse the crowd, protesting the arrest of the MNS chief.

Several Samajwadi Party workers also turned up outside the court, shouting slogans against Raj. But police cordoned them off from MNS workers to prevent any untoward incident.

As the news of Raj's arrest spread, incidents of stone-pelting and arson were reported from various parts of the city as well as neighbouring Thane, Nashik and Pune districts.

Miscreants attacked a toll booth in north-east suburb of Mulund and set one of the counters on fire. About 25-30 taxis were also attacked in Tardeo, South Mumbai, police said.

In two separate instances at Borivali, miscreants tried to burn a truck and an autorickshaw, they said.

Some MNS activists allegedy tried to block roads in neighbouring Navi Mumbai but were prevented, police said. Most taxis and rickshaws were off the roads and shops as well as educational institutes remained closed.

Bihar violence

The attacks unleashed by the MNS also triggered violent protests in Bihar on Tuesday with students vandalising Patna railway station and disrupting movement of trains in Patna and Darbhanga.

Hundreds of examinees returning from Mumbai smashed the glass door of the main entrance of the railway station before forcing their way into the offices of the Station Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent where they damaged furniture, forcing the officers to flee for their lives, railway sources said.

Several other railway staff also fled the station which has been virtually besieged by the agitators, Public Relations Officer of Danapur division R K Singh told PTI.

Superintendent of Railway Police, Patna, D N Gupta, who is camping at the station trying to persuade the agitators to call off their stir, told PTI that the examinees complained about being beaten up by MNS activists who they alleged also looted their belongings.

Gupta, however, said no FIR has so far been lodged as the victims had not submitted any written complaint.

Danapur Division PRO Singh said 19 trains, including 2141 Mumbai-Rajendra Nagar Express, 3237 Patna-Mathura Express, 2349 Pune-Patna Express, 3401 Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity Express, 3287 Durg-Danapur Express and 6359 Patna-Kochi Express were stranded at several stations.