More than 360 booked for violence over Maratha quota in Maharashtra's Jalna

A day after a protest over Maratha quota turned violent in Maharashtra’s Jalna, leading to some police personnel and others getting injured, the police have filed a case against more than 360 persons, of whom 16 have been identified, for their alleged involvement in violence, an official said on Saturday (September 2).

Police used baton-charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil, around 75 km from Aurangabad, on Friday. The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation for the Maratha community at the village since Tuesday. The trouble began when police tried to shift Jarange to a hospital on doctors’ advice, officials said.

The agitation turned violent as some persons targeted state transport buses and private vehicles, police said. Villagers claimed that police fired some rounds in the air, but officials did not confirm it. According to police, around 40 police personnel and some other persons were injured in the violence. The protesters torched at least 15 state transport buses and some private vehicles, they said.

Police action questioned

The agitators remained firm on their demand on Saturday and said they would continue with the stir till the government provides reservation to the community. They also questioned the police action against their “peaceful” agitation and asked why they fired bullets in the air and lathicharged the protesters.

“An offence was registered at Gondi police station in Jalna against 16 agitators, who have been identified, and around 350 others for their involvement in violence on Friday,” a senior police official said. The case was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and others, he said.

Police personnel and a company of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) are now deployed at the village, the official said, adding that the situation is under control now. Jalna SP Tushar Doshi told PTI, “Nearly 40 police personnel were injured in the violence yesterday. Police used plastic bullets and tear shells to disperse the protesters and bring the situation under control. No arrest has been so far and the situation is under control now.”

In the wake of the violence in which several state transport buses were torched, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has decided to run buses only on selected routes in the division for the time being.

Appeal for peace

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday made an appeal for peace and announced that a committee will be set up for a high-level probe into the violence, while Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the police were forced to use baton-charge due to stone pelting.

The reservation provided by the state government for the politically dominant Maratha community was quashed by the Supreme Court earlier.

Meanwhile, an official said that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar is scheduled to visit Antarwali Sarathi village post-noon on Saturday. He will arrive in Aurangabad and then go to the village. He will also visit the sub-district hospital in Ambad and a primary health centre.

(With agency inputs)