Fed up with 40 years of seeking justice in a land dispute back home, a 70-year-old woman from Beed tried a ‘shortcut’ by pretending to attempt suicide outside Mantralaya on Wednesday. Her ploy worked, and the police, after preventing her ‘attempt’, put her in touch with government officers.
Marine Drive police said the woman, Radhabai Salunke, came to the city on Wednesday morning with her son and reached the Mantralaya gate at around 10.15 a.m. She then pretended to pour a ‘liquid’ in her possession over her body, in full view of the police personnel posted there.
Senior Police Inspector Vilas Gangawane said, “Our personnel saw her and stopped her, after which they realised the bottle in her hand contained water and not kerosene. She was taken to the police station for further inquiries.”
Ms. Salunke told police she had been embroiled in a dispute with some of her family members over a piece of land in Beed, and that she had been battling the case for the past 40 years.
After all other options ran out, she tried to get the government’s attention under the pretence of suicide, the police said.
Police officials put her in touch with the relevant department at the Mantralaya. After speaking to officials, Ms. Salunke and her son left for Beed in the evening, Mr. Gangawane said.
Mantralaya, which is the seat of power in the State, has for long been a location of choice for people to attempt suicide in order to voice their grievances.
There have already been three incidents at the venue this year, the first one resulting in the death of farmer Dharma Patil (84) from Dhule, who consumed poison outside Mantralaya on January 22 this year. Patil died while under treatment at the JJ Hospital one week after the incident.
On February 8, murder convict Harshal Raote jumped off the fifth floor of Mantralaya and died, after which a safety net was installed in the premises.
On May 3, Ahmednagar resident Ganesh Pawar tried to set himself ablaze to demand the arrest of Shiv Pratishthan leader Sambhaji Bhide for allegedly inciting the Bhima Koregaon violence in Pune in January this year. Mr. Bhide, however, was stopped in time by police personnel at the spot.
