MUMBAI: Day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray issued a warning of setting toll plazas on fire if tolls are collected from four, two and three-wheelers, party workers staged a protest at the Mulund toll naka during which one of the workers allegedly set a toll booth ablaze. The arrested MNS party worker who has been identified as Roshan Wadkar, was sent to two-day police custody for setting the toll plaza on fire.

A CCTV video of the matter has surfaced online wherein a person can be seen putting a tyre in the toll booth and then pouring petrol on it from a bottle. He then uses matchsticks to set the toll booth on fire.

On October 1, the state government increased the toll rate at five entry points into Mumbai, including Dahisar (Western Express Highway), Airoli, Vashi (Sion-Panvel Highway), Mulund West (LBS Marg), and Eastern Express Highway. 

Objecting to the move and hitting out at the current and previous governments, Thackeray had asserted that none of them had been able to fulfil their promises of making Maharashtra toll-free. He also alleged that toll booths served as a source of income for many politicians and they got some share from the money collected at toll booths every day, every week and every month. Hence, he said toll booths will never be closed down, and you will also never get good roads.

Thackeray had also raised concerns about the handling of funds collected at toll booths and questioned why the same companies repeatedly secured contracts for toll collection.

Responding to the allegations, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis issued a statement on Monday, noting that 12 toll booths in the state had been closed according to an order published on May 31, 2015.