Two women consume poison outside Mantralaya, one dead

Mumbai: Mantralaya, the administrative headquarters of the Maharashtra government, saw a shocking incident on Monday, as two women who had been agitating against police inaction consumed pesticide outside its premises

Mumbai: Mantralaya, the administrative headquarters of the Maharashtra government, saw a shocking incident on Monday, as two women who had been agitating against police inaction consumed pesticide outside its premises. Sheetal Gadekar passed away in the state-run JJ Hospital on Tuesday while the condition of Sangita Davare is critical. The police said that Davare’s husband got her discharged from J J Hospital against medical advice on Tuesday and took her to Lonand in Satara district in a cardiac ambulance.

The police said that though the women belonged to different districts—Gadekar was from Dhule and Davare from Navi Mumbai—they came by the same taxi to Mantralaya at around 1.30 pm on Monday. They were stopped at the gates by the police but had already consumed the poison by then. (HT PHOTO)

Interestingly, the press note put out by the police said that the women had consumed poison after being “provoked” by a journalist and a social activist and one of them could have given them the pesticide that they ingested. The note added that the police were on the lookout for the alleged instigators.

The police said that though the women belonged to different districts—Gadekar was from Dhule and Davare from Navi Mumbai—they came by the same taxi to Mantralaya at around 1.30 pm on Monday. They were stopped at the gates by the police but had already consumed the poison by then.

Davare had earlier given an interview to a YouTube news channel, threatening to end her life, as she had not got justice. The wife of a police constable whose leg got paralysed after he underwent surgery after a hit-and-run case, she wanted action taken against the doctors. Gadekar also wanted police action, as her land was allegedly taken away by her husband’s friend after his death.

In her television interview, Davare said that her husband Hanumant Davare was on duty in February 2022 on Palm Beach Road when a vehicle knocked him down, resulting in three fractures. He was admitted to a private hospital in CBD, but the surgery was allegedly botched up by the doctor, who, Davare alleged, was related to the accused. Claiming that the doctor tried to kill her husband, Davare said that she got him discharged and took him to another hospital in Ulwe.

Davare said she had gone on a fast unto death twice to get justice but no action was taken against the accused, who were even indicted in a probe by government doctors of Thane. Her husband’s medical bills were not sanctioned by the police, the family was debt-ridden, and with two children to look after, life was tough. In the YouTube interview, she had specifically said that she would be taking her own life on March 27 at 1 pm.

Police sources said that they had full intelligence about Davare planning to attempt suicide. The Navi Mumbai police used to regularly counsel her but she was not traceable for the last three days. After she gave an interview to the YouTube channel, her picture was circulated to the Mantralaya security wing. However, as she came to Mantralaya wearing a scarf, she could not be identified, said the police.

Joint Commissioner (law and order) Satyanarayan said an accidental death report had been registered and the police were doing a thorough investigation. “We will ensure appropriate legal action,” he said. Additional commissioner of police (south region) Dilip Sawant that the police were on the lookout for the two suspects who, the police claimed, had incited the women to consume pesticide.