Cases of theft marred the protest march led by activist Manoj Jarange Patil of the Maratha Kranti Morcha in Vashi. The Navi Mumbai police revealed that a gang of thieves took advantage of the chaotic situation during the rally. Two instances of gold chain theft and missing mobile phones were reported.
Sanjeev Pingale, 55, a resident of Airoli, visited Chhatrapati Shivaji Chowk in Vashi with his family on January 26 to express support for reservation. Amidst the gathering, a tumultuous situation unfolded, resulting in his accidental fall. Upon emerging from the crowd, Sanjeev discovered that his gold chain worth Rs 40,000 was missing. Despite a thorough search at the spot of his fall, his efforts proved fruitless.
In a similar incident, Prahlad Pandurang Jadhav, 60, a resident of Koparkhiarne, also lost his gold chain worth Rs 45,000 during the gathering. Cases of mobile theft also surfaced. Meanwhile, the Vashi police registered cases against unidentified persons under section 379 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to police, thieves took advantage of the massive crowd in Vashi and robbed at least five to six persons and decamped with valuables. The exact amount of theft could not be ascertained at the moment as many people might have returned home without registering cases, said police.
More than five lakhs supporters from various parts of the state converged on Navi Mumbai and stayed for two days to demand Maratha reservation. Activist Manoj Jarange Patil orchestrated a massive rally, marching from Jalna to Mumbai.