Thane Resident Dies of Heart Attack During Unauthorised CJP Protest at Mumbai's Shivaji Park
A 75-year-old resident of Thane died after suffering a heart attack during an unauthorised protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday, October 2. The deceased has been identified as Gopalakrishna Subbaiya Pillai, a resident of B Wing, Dosti West County in Thane.
According to reports, Pillai developed severe chest pain around 5:00 PM during the demonstration. Police personnel and his friends immediately rushed to assist him, transporting him to a nearby hospital. He later passed away while undergoing treatment. An official from the Shivaji Park police station confirmed the identity of the deceased and the cause of death to news agencies PTI and ANI.
Protest Demands and Lack of Police Permission
The demonstration, billed by organisers as a "Jail Bharo Andolan," was held to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The protest involved tense scuffles and road blockages outside the gates of Shivaji Park.
The gathering took place despite explicit denial of permission by the Mumbai Police. On September 27, the police department publicly stated that it was not empowered to grant permission for any gathering at Shivaji Park. This restriction is in accordance with a Bombay High Court judgment in PIL 116/2009 dated January 4, 2013, and a subsequent Government of Maharashtra order dated January 20, 2016, which designated the area as a silence zone where such assemblies are barred.
The applicant for the protest, Ajinkya Shinde of the CJP, had been formally informed of this restriction by the police and was advised to seek an alternate venue for the demonstration.
Local Residents Raise Concerns and File Complaints
Despite the police refusal, organisers proceeded with the event. Siddhi Deolekar, an advocate and resident living opposite Shivaji Park for the past ten years, lodged a formal complaint against the CJP founders for conducting the illegal assembly. Deolekar produced the official letter issued by the Shivaji Park police station to Shinde detailing the grounds for denying permission.
Deolekar expressed strong objections to the nature of the protest, noting that the demonstrators engaged in singing and dancing, which she described as a "circus" rather than a serious demonstration. She identified Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Dass, and Ajinkya as the figures leading the gathering.
According to Deolekar, the protesters blocked residential roads and disrupted traffic directly in front of local homes. She pointed out that there are prominent hospitals in the vicinity of Shivaji Park, raising concerns about potential emergency access risks. She questioned why the organisers did not use designated protest sites, such as Azad Maidan in Mumbai or Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, instead of blocking residential streets.
Ongoing Investigation and Public Response
While CJP leaders have described the demonstration as a peaceful, youth-led movement and indicated plans for future actions, the event has drawn sharp criticism from local residents. Critics argue that the right to protest does not permit the violation of court-mandated silence zones or the obstruction of public roads near medical facilities.
The Mumbai Police are currently investigating the matter. The complaint filed by Deolekar against the organisers for defying the High Court order and holding an illegal assembly remains under process. As of now, authorities have not announced any formal arrests or charges in connection with the incident.
