Pune Family Walks 150 km to Mumbai, Seeks Justice from Chief Minister
Pune Family Walks 150 km to Mumbai, Seeks Justice from Chief Minister
Mumbai: In a desperate quest for justice, Sonam Londhe and her family walked 150 kilometers over six days from Pune to Mumbai, hoping to meet the chief minister. On Thursday morning, they arrived at Azad Maidan, exhausted and disheveled, with only a thin blanket to rest upon.
“Our ordeal began two years ago when a neighbor in Thergaon, Pimpri Chinchwad, assaulted our boy over a caste-related remark,” Londhe explained. “When we approached the Wakad police for help, they refused to register our complaint or provide medical assistance. That was just the start of our suffering.”
The family, belonging to the Matang community, installed a CCTV camera outside their home for safety. However, seven months ago, civic officials and police allegedly entered their home, pushed them aside, and demolished their toilet. “When my nephew tried to record the incident, he was stopped and injured. They even blocked our CCTV camera,” Londhe said. The next day, their water supply was disconnected.
"चवदार तळ्याच्या संघर्षाला 98 वर्षं झाली आहेत. पण आम्हाला मात्र पुन्हा पाण्यासाठी संघर्ष करावा लागत आहे. आमचं पाणी बंद केलं, शौचालय तोडलं, मारहाण करत जातीवाचक शिव्या दिल्या. यावर आम्हाला न्याय मिळावा."
— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) February 12, 2025
पिंपरी चिंचवडच्या थेरगावच्या या महिला त्यांच्या संपूर्ण कुटुंबाबरोबर पायी… pic.twitter.com/lzBJltg4EQ
Living without a proper toilet and access to water has been a daily struggle. “We use a sari as a makeshift curtain when using the toilet pit,” said Londhe’s sister, Reshma Chauhan. “The children fetch water from a neighborhood tank every day.”
Despite multiple complaints to the police and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the family claims they were met with inaction. “We have provided documents proving our home ownership, yet the police asked us for thumbprints on blank sheets and never registered our complaint,” Londhe added. “We’ve even spent nights at the police station, but nothing changed.”
Frustrated and fearful for their safety, the family set off for Mumbai on February 7. They slept in open spaces and temples, relying on the kindness of strangers for food. “We were told Azad Maidan is the place to go if we want to reach Mantralaya,” Londhe said. “But it’s already Thursday night, and no one has come to help us.”
As of Thursday night, the family was waiting at CSMT station, determined to try again the next day to meet the chief minister and seek justice.
