State extends date to withdraw cases against Maratha protesters

State government extends cut-off date to withdraw cases against Maratha protesters to August 31, 2024, ahead of assembly polls. Around 350 cases to be considered, with chargesheets filed in 300. Withdrawal not applicable for cases involving property or life loss.

Mumbai: Ahead of the assembly polls, the state government said it has set a new cut-off date of August 31, 2024, to withdraw cases registered against Maratha protesters in the last ten months after the quota stir in Jalna on September 1, 2023. This would pave the way for the withdrawal of hundreds of cases registered against Marathas.

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The state issued a government resolution (GR) on Wednesday to extend the date from its existing January 31, 2024 date.

There are around 350 such cases registered against Marathas, and the chargesheet in 300 of them have been submitted to the court. The cut-off date of the withdrawal of such cases is taken into consideration on the date of filing of the chargesheet.

“This means in less than 100 cases, the local police administration could apply for the withdrawal of the cases. The extension to the cut-off date has paved the way for the withdrawal of remaining cases in which the chargesheets have been filed,” said an official from the home department.

On September 1, clashes erupted in Jalna between the police and those demanding reservations. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured as protestors threw stones and police used batons and teargas on them. Over 15 state transport buses were set on fire.

The protest was intensified by the Maratha community under the leadership of quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil after the lathicharge leading to the registration of over 350 cases against persons across various districts of Marathwada and western Maharashtra.

The official said that of 350, at least 50 cases are not eligible for the withdrawal as they involved the loss of properties and lives. “The cases of the attack on the houses and offices of MLAs and leaders like Jaydutta Kshirsagar, and Prakash Solanke would not be withdrawn. Similarly, the cases registered on the day of the lathicharge are not eligible for the withdrawal as the protesters had attacked policemen,” the officer added.

The withdrawal of the cases registered against Maratha protesters is one of the nine demands made by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil during his recent indefinite hunger strike.