More than 360 booked for violence over Maratha quota in Maharashtra

Aurangabad: A day after an agitation for reservation for the Maratha community turned violent in Maharashtra's Jalna district leading to several people including dozens of police personnel getting injured, the situation was under control on Saturday, an official said.

Police have registered a case against more than 360 persons for alleged involvement in the violence though no arrest has been made, he said.

Opposition leaders targeted the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state over Friday's incidents, condemning the use of baton charge by police and demanding that the government take steps to provide reservation to the politically dominant Maratha community. Police used baton charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district, around 75 km from Aurangabad, on Friday.

The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation since Tuesday. The trouble began when police tried to shift Jarange to hospital on doctors' advice, officials said.

According to police, around 40 police personnel and some others were injured in the violence. The protesters pelted stones and torched at least 15 state transport buses and some private vehicles, they said.

"An offence was registered at Gondi police station in Jalna against 16 agitators who have been identified, and around 350 others for their involvement in violence," a senior police official said. The case was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and others.