Maratha quota agitation: Nine cases registered against protesters in south Mumbai police stations

Mumbai, Sep 3 (PTI) Nine cases have been registered against Maratha quota protesters in six police stations in south Mumbai for alleged unlawful assembly and disobedience of lawful directions by police and wrongful restraints, an official said on Wednesday.

Three cases have been registered at Azad Maidan police station, two at Marine Drive and one each at Mata Rambai Ambedkar Marg, Dongri, JJ Marg and Colaba police stations, the official said.

Thousands of supporters of Manoj Jarange had converged in south Mumbai after the activist launched his hunger strike at the Azad Maidan on August 29 to press for reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs.

They occupied places around the venue and blocked several roads. Maratha community members were also seen roaming various places in south Mumbai and staging protests near Mantralaya and Bombay Stock Exchange, and areas like JJ Marg, Dongri and Colaba.

The protesters dispersed after Jarange called off his agitation on Tuesday.

During these five days, the protesters violated various conditions set by the police, the official said. In all, nine cases have been registered against Maratha quota protesters, he said.

About the three first information reports (FIRs) at Azad Maidan police station, the official said they were registered in the early hours of Tuesday for unlawful assembly, “rasta roko” in front of the BMC Selfie Point, Metro Junction and OCS Junction.

In each of these three cases, 40 to 50 unidentified persons have been shown as accused.

However, no case was registered against those protesting at the Azad Maidan, the designated venue for agitations, he said.

More than 100 unidentified persons were booked for agitations and blocking roads within the jurisdiction of the J J Marg police station, he said.

The Marine Drive police registered one case each on August 31 and September 1 for unlawful assembly, he said, adding that similar sections were applied in cases registered by other police stations as well.

Claiming that the protesters violated conditions, the police on Tuesday (September 1) had denied permission to the organisers of the Maratha quota agitation to extend their protest by one day.

Considering various incidents, the cases have been registered against the Maratha quota protesters at six police stations, the official said.

Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday evening ended his five-day-old fast after the Maharashtra government accepted most of his demands, including granting eligible Marathas Kunbi caste certificates, which will make them eligible for reservation benefits available to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The government also agreed to withdraw all pending police cases against Maratha protesters by September 2025. PTI DC NR