Sambhajinagar, Sep 17: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed relief and satisfaction after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil ended his hunger strike on its 20th day.

Addressing media, he welcomed the development, noting that the government had proactively engaged with the activist to resolve the standoff peacefully.

“We are glad that Manoj Jarange Patil has called off his hunger strike. We had urged him to do so. Out of his 13 demands, 12 have been accepted by the government. One demand could not be fulfilled due to legal constraints, which was duly communicated to him,” he stated.

The Chief Minister assured that the commitments made by the cabinet sub-committee would be strictly fulfilled. The state government will hold necessary meetings and take required administrative steps to implement these promises.

Reaffirming the state’s commitment to Maratha community, Fadnavis emphasized that “our doors remain open” and claimed that no previous administration has taken as many concrete decisions for the welfare of the Maratha community as the current government.

Extending appreciation to key leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and legislator Prasad Lad for their mediation, CM Fadnavis highlighted that the agitation concluded peacefully without disturbing upcoming festive celebrations.

Earlier, Jarange Patil on Thursday at Patoda in Beed district announced the suspension of his 20-day hunger strike following his discussion with a government delegation comprising Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Dadaji Bhuse, MLAs Prasad Lad and Suresh Dhas, and the Beed District Collector. Following the talks, Jarange Patil granted the government a 90-day deadline, demanding the implementation of the Satara Gazette within three months. He warned that if the government betrays them, he will march to Mumbai.

Announcing the suspension of his hunger strike, he clarified that the agitation would continue, asserting that the battle would not stop until it succeeded. Giving a three-month ultimatum for the Satara Gazette implementation, he stated that antagonising the Maratha community is unacceptable.

He remarked that despite any mistakes by Minister Vikhe Patil, people should treat him with affection, and expressed similar sentiments toward DCM Eknath Shinde. He added that he would not stay silent if ministers criticised them and noted that officials who previously avoided talks had finally come to negotiate, emphasising that the community’s dignity is more important than reservations.

The government delegation gave him assurances including implementation of the Satara, Kolhapur, Pune, and Aundh Gazettes within three months by issuing a Government Resolution (GR), issuance of a revised GR to grant Kunbi certificates in accordance with the Hyderabad Gazette, continued validation of certificates issued per the Hyderabad Gazette, no reduction in the 58 lakh Kunbi records found by the Shinde Committee and validation of the revoked Kunbi certificates of four elected representatives from Marathwada.

Following its crackdown on cyber fraudsters, the Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed the arrest of seven additional suspects from Goa. Three individuals had previously been arrested in connection with the same case; this latest action follows progress made during the investigation. On September 11, acting on confidential information, Unit 5 of the Mumbai Crime Branch initiated proceedings against three individuals for cyber fraud, registering a case under Sections 318(4), 61, 45, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Subsequent developments led Unit 5 to take further action. The accused—along with their associates—would open bank accounts in their own names and the names of others, while also purchasing SIM cards in various names to link to these accounts. After opening the accounts, they retained direct possession and control of the passbooks, ATM cards, chequebooks, SIM cards, and other linked credentials, utilizing the accounts to commit cyber fraud. Items seized from them included 88 passbooks, 143 chequebooks, 100 ATM cards, 24 mobile phones, 167 SIM cards, and two laptops. Further investigation, utilizing technical analysis and AI, led to the arrest of seven more suspects on September 13; they were apprehended at a villa in a Goa resort where they had been operating the cyber fraud racket. The following items were recovered from them: 1) 59 mobile phones from various companies, 2) a total of 19 SIM cards from various companies, 3) 9 laptops, 4) 51 ATM cards, 5) 12 passbooks, and other materials. It has been revealed that the accused developed and utilized their own application to transfer funds obtained through financial fraud.
The court has granted police custody remand for the accused until September 24.
This successful operation was carried out by Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner (Crime) Krishnakant Upadhyay, and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan.

Mumbai: Route marches were conducted in the northern suburbs of Mumbai—including sensitive areas like Chembur—against the backdrop of the Ganesh Utsav and the immersion processions. Additional Mumbai Police forces and other units marched through the streets to reassure the public of their safety. Acting on the instructions of Additional Commissioner (East Region) Dhananjay Kulkarni, these marches were carried out in northern areas to prevent any untoward incidents during the Ganpati festival; the Mumbai Police remains on high alert for the occasion. Patrols have been intensified in northern areas such as Govandi, Kurla, and Chembur, and security has been tightened at ponds and immersion sites.
Police are also on alert in Mumbai’s western suburbs, including Andheri and Saki Naka. DCP Datta Nalawade has ordered senior police station officers to remain vigilant and has directed special monitoring of sensitive areas. Under the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, route marches and security arrangements are being reviewed across all regions and zones of the city. Senior officers are stationed at beaches, artificial ponds, and immersion sites. With the large-scale Ganpati immersion scheduled for September 25, the police remain vigilant and alert to ensure the maintenance of law and order. Special security arrangements have been deployed at key locations across Mumbai—including Girgaon Chowpatty, Dadar, and various waterfronts and immersion sites—and the BMC has claimed to have made adequate provisions for the convenience of Ganesh devotees. Police security will also be in place at coastal areas such as Bandra Bandstand and Juhu Chowpatty. Today, police conducted route marches across the North Mumbai zone and region to assess the situation in sensitive areas; the objective of these marches is to instill a sense of security among the public while deterring communal and anti-social elements. The situation is being closely monitored under the directives of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti. Meanwhile, the arrival of Manoj Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan—coinciding with the Ganesh festival—has posed a challenge for the Mumbai Police, as permission for his protest demonstration has not yet been granted.