Nashik: Cops Book Dead Sena Leader Along With Others for Ghoti Toll Plaza Protest

A case has been registered against 24 key office bearers and workers of the Shiv Sena Thackeray group in connection with a protest held at the Ghoti toll plaza in Igatpuri taluka. The Ghoti police station has listed the names of those involved, including District Chief Sudhakar Badgujar, Vilas Shinde, and former MLA Nirmala Gavit. Additionally, the police mistakenly included the name of the late Shobha Magar, who was a member of the Shiv Sena Shinde faction. Police sources have acknowledged the error.

The protest, which occurred on Tuesday, was organized by the Shiv Sena UBT group to demand the suspension of toll collection until the pothole issues on the Nashik-Mumbai highway are resolved. The deteriorated condition of the highway has extended travel time from Nashik to Mumbai to eight to ten hours instead of the usual three hours. Protestors, including Shiv Sainiks from the UBT group, blocked the Ghoti toll road for about two hours, causing long vehicle queues on both sides.

Protest saw heated exchange

The slow progress of flyover construction in the Ghoti and Igatpuri areas and the one to one-and-a-half-foot-deep potholes on both sides of the service road have exacerbated traffic congestion, leading to delays and an increase in accidents. Protestors demanded immediate repairs to the highway to prevent further accidents and vehicle damage.

The protest saw heated exchanges between protestors and vehicle owners and passengers. Key figures in the protest included former MLAs Nirmala Gavit and Vasant Gite, as well as taluka heads Rajabhau Nathe, Ramesh Gavit, Bhagwan Adole, Kuldeep Chaudhary, Raju Pancharia, Vitthal Langde, Somnath Joshi, Rajendra Jadhav, Ambadas Dhongde, Nandlal Bhagde, Devram Mhasne, and Sampat Waje.