PIL filed against Maratha Kranti Morcha in Bombay High Court for resorting to violence during Maharashtra bandh

Mumbai: A PIL has been filed on Thursday against Maratha Kranti Morcha for resorting to violence during a protest in Bombay High Court. The petitioner, in the PIL, requested for compensation for loss of public property.

The petition has been filed by a farmer named Dwarkanath Patil. He has asked for a ban on the violent agitation over the demand for Maratha reservation. Following the petition, a hearing has been scheduled for August 13.

Maratha Kranti Morcha and other Maratha groups have been protesting across Maharashtra over the demand for reservation. They had called a state-wide bandh on Thursday, however, said that the protest would be held in a peaceful manner.

Parts of Maharashtra, especially Koparkhairane and Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, had witnessed violence during the Maratha quota stir late last month.

Around 20 policemen, including eight officers, were injured in stone-pelting by protesters at Kopar Khairane and Kalamboli. A protester, injured in the violence in Navi Mumbai, had succumbed to his injuries. A number of people from the community had earlier committed suicide in support of the quota demand.

Another Maratha faction has given a call to only hold a sit-in outside the Mumbai suburban district collector's office. 

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding a 16 per cent reservation. The community had earlier taken out silent marches across the state to highlight their demands, prominent among them being that of reservation.

The agitation, however, turned violent after a 27-year-old protester jumped to his death in Godavari river near Aurangabad on July 23.

Violence had also erupted at Chakan near Pune during the Maratha quota agitation in the last week of July. Four policemen had been injured in stone-pelting during the protest at Chakan, where the mob also damaged nearly sixty vehicles, including state and civic-run buses and police jeeps.

(With inputs from agencies)