Mumbai: Mumbai’s daily life was thrown into turmoil on Monday as Maratha activists intensified their agitation for reservation in education and jobs. Protesters disrupted traffic at multiple points across South Mumbai, including Marine Drive, Mantralaya and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), forcing police and civic agencies to roll out emergency measures.

One of the most dramatic scenes unfolded at Marine Drive, where activists blocked the iconic seafront stretch by parking vehicles in violation of regulations. Protesters were also seen blocking roads and disrupting vehicular traffic. The move caused major disruption during peak hours and drew swift attention from authorities scrambling to ease the logjam.

Meanwhile, the security was tightened around key government establishments, with heightened focus on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ residence, Varsha, in Malabar Hill and the Mantralaya at Nariman Point. Amid fears that demonstrators might march toward the state secretariat, the Mantralaya was turned into a fortress.

Police erected a three-tier barricade system, sealing Madame Cama Road at both ends. Free Press Journal Marg, the arterial link between Vidhan Bhavan and Mantralaya, was shut to the public, while traffic was also suspended on General Jagannath Bhosle Road leading to the YB Chavan Centre. Only officials and staff were allowed entry as policemen stood guard at every point.

The ripple effect was visible at CSMT, one of Mumbai’s busiest railway hubs, where a huge crowd of protestors converged, choking access and creating gridlock during rush hour. Commuters faced long delays as railway authorities and police put contingency plans into action to maintain passenger flow and prevent overcrowding on platforms.

Adding to the congestion, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking announced diversions for several bus routes since morning. Buses that normally operated through Jagannath Bhosale Marg, D.N. Road, and Mahapalika Marg were rerouted via Sant Sewalal Chowk, Rambhau Salaskar Marg, and M.G. Road, though traffic snarls continued across the southern parts of the city.

Mumbai: After a year, there has been no significant progress in the drug-planting incident in Kalina involving four police personnel. The incident occurred on August 30, 2024. However, the police registered an FIR against the four personnel only after more than three months, following directions from the Human Rights Commission. Apart from this, there has been no major development in the case.

The Vakola police have neither taken any action against the accused nor filed a chargesheet or properly recorded eyewitness statements. They have also not added additional NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) sections to the case, applying only bailable sections instead. As a result, the accused were granted anticipatory bail.

The victim’s lawyer, Advocate Akshay Bhole, stated, “There has been no progress in the case and no chargesheet has been filed. The police have not contacted us. The victim has been at home for a year, as no one is willing to offer him a job out of fear. The Human Rights Commission’s hearing date is scheduled for December.”

The incident dates back to August 30, 2024, when PSI Vishwanath Omble and three constables — Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Yogendra Shinde (also known as Dabang Shinde) — in plain clothes from the Khar police station visited Shahbaz Khan’s livestock farm in Kalina, Santacruz East, where Dylan Estbeiro, 31, was working. They allegedly frisked Dylan and planted 20 grams of mephedrone in his pocket during a staged search, later accusing him of drug possession.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV, which was later reviewed and shared publicly by Shahbaz Khan. Following the release of the footage, Dylan was released by the Khar police. The video sparked public outrage, prompting then-Deputy Commissioner Raj Tilak Roushan to suspend all four police personnel on August 31. Dylan told FPJ, “It has been one year since the incident occurred, yet there has been no major development in the case.

The investigating officer has also been changed. The police came to my residence and told my father that I should visit the police station after Ganapati. My career is over, and I do not know when I will get a new job. The police have not added NDPS sections so far against the accused police personnel.”

Despite claims by the Railways that suburban train services are operating normally, thousands of commuters across Mumbai faced severe inconvenience on Monday due to the ongoing Maratha reservation protest. Chaos gripped Central Line stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), which were overwhelmed with protesters.

Large crowds of demonstrators occupied platforms, leaving little to no walking space for passengers. Boarding and deboarding trains became a major struggle. Protesters were seen shouting slogans and dancing on platforms, causing further disruption. Although security personnel were deployed at key stations, they appeared ineffective in controlling the crowd. Protesters were seen arguing with officers who attempted to stop them.

The impact was felt even more drastically on the city’s bus transport system. Several key routes operated by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) were either curtailed or diverted, forcing thousands of office-goers to walk long distances to reach their destinations.

According to the BEST control room, several roads in South Mumbai were either blocked or overcrowded, making it impossible to maintain bus schedules. Police closed multiple major roads, including:

Jagannath Bhosale Marg

Mahapalika Marg

DN Road

Hajari Somani Marg

Madam Cama Road

JJ Bridge Road

Due to the closure of Jagannath Bhosale Marg, bus routes 25, 45, C-10, 86, and 305 were diverted via Sant Sevalal Chowk, Rambhau Salaskar Marg, Mahadev Chowk, MK Road, and Poddar Chowk.

Similarly, Bhagat Singh Road near the GPO was completely blocked, suspending bus operations in that area. The closure of Mahapalika Marg led to the diversion of routes 66, 69, 126, and 28 via MG Road and Hutatma Chowk.

With DN Road shut down, buses on routes 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 14, 25, 45, 51, 10, 103, 124, 126, and 69 were rerouted via MG Road towards Metro, LT Road, and Crawford Market.

The closure of Hajari Somani Marg forced rerouting of routes 1, 6, 9, 19, 21, 26, 25, 14, 45, 51, 66, 8, and 69 via Metro Cinema.

Additionally, JJ Bridge was closed for both heavy vehicles and buses from 9:35 AM onward, leading to further diversions and curtailments.

With key transport arteries blocked and services running off-schedule or not at all, large parts of Mumbai witnessed a near shutdown in mobility. Office-goers, students, and daily wage workers bore the brunt of the disruptions.