Sharad Pawar house attack: Some protesters were drunk, say Mumbai Police

Police personnel in a scuffle with MSRTC employees during the protest on April 8 at Sharad Pawar`s residence. Pic/PTI

The police have found that 11 of the protesters arrested for the attack on NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence were drunk. The Gamdevi police have arrested 116 people - MSRTC employees - for the protest on April 8 and had taken blood samples of 81 of the accused. At least 11 of the samples tested positive for alcohol. The protesters had thrown chappals and stones during the attack.

During the course of investigation, the police found that on April 7, the arrested prime accused, advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte, called a meeting at his residence, which was attended by 20-25 people. "During the meeting they decided to carry out a protest at Pawar's residence, Silver Oak, as the last leg of their ongoing agitation," a police officer said.

The Gamdevi police have also learnt that the violent protest was carried out to get maximum publicity for the agitation by ST workers at Azad Maidan since November last year .

The police have found that on the day of the protest, April 8, ST workers took buses and taxis to reach Pawar's residence and had decided to use chappals in the demonstrations, because if they carried anything else the police would have got to know of it.

81
No. of protesters whose samples were tested