State initiates action on Jarange-Patil’s other demands

The state home department has started the process of withdrawing 471 cases against Maratha protesters and will complete it within a fortnight

MUMBAI: Days after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil was assured that his key demands would be met after his massive show of strength in Mumbai, the state is hastening to address demands relating to cases that had been filed against protestors and compensation for lives lost.

Maratha community activist Manoj Jarange-Patil (HT PHOTO)

The state home department has started the process of withdrawing 471 cases against Maratha protesters and will complete it within a fortnight.

The Mumbai police too are expected to withdraw nine cases against the protesters for hooliganism during the recent protest at Azad Maidan.

In addition, the state general administration department has written to various departments including the transport and industries departments, to accommodate nine Maratha candidates who had lost family members during earlier protests. Besides, the Chief Minister’s Office is expected to issue an order to release compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the families of 96 protesters who had previously lost their lives during quota agitations.

There were over 852 cases registered against Maratha quota activists since August 2016, for violence during protests, particularly during 2023-24. The state had assured Jarange-Patil that these cases would be withdrawn, except those where property loss was ₹5 lakh or more, or involved attacks on the police, said an official with the state home department.

Barring 471 cases, where the process of withdrawal has only just been initiated, the withdrawal process has been completed for the others, at the administrative level, and is pending before the respective courts.

“District committees under deputy collectors, who take a call on ‘social’ cases, have been directed to complete the process of withdrawal in 471 cases in the next 15 days. Once this is complete, applications will be submitted before the courts for the withdrawal of the cases,” the official added.

He said the Mumbai police is expected to withdraw nine cases registered against nine protesters for hooliganism during the recent Azad Maidan protest. “The cases have been registered against unknown people. Manoj Jarange-Patil has been assured that these cases will be dropped. The Mumbai police are expected to turn them into ‘summary cases’,” the official said.

During quota protests since August 2016, 254 youth and Maratha protesters ended their lives for the reservation cause or had died of natural causes during the protests. Of these cases, 158 cases have been processed. Of these, only 45 deceased protestors had family members who were eligible for compensation and government jobs – 36 family members have been given jobs and only nine cases are pending.

“The government is initiating the process for the remaining 96 protestors who lost their lives in quota agitations. Eligible kin of these deceased protestors will be accommodated in the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation or Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, said an official with the general administration department. Those eligible for compensation will receive ₹10 lakh each. They will be compensated with ex-gratia within a week,” added the official.

Meanwhile, Manoj Jarange-Patil said on Thursday that the Marathas are satisfied with the outcome of their agitation. “Some people are spreading misleading information about the GR issued by the government. If there are any flaws in the GR, we can get them rectified,” he said.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The GR issued by the government was not for blanket inclusion of Marathas as OBCs. It relates to the implementation of the Hyderabad gazetteer, which would help Maratha who have Kunbi records to get Kunbi certificates. This would not affect the existing OBCs.”