Dispute Centred Around Government Land Designated For Ballast Mine In MP’s Barwani | 3 injured as villagers attacks leaseholders
Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): A violent clash broke out between villagers and leaseholders during demarcation of government land in Barwani on Wednesday.
The incident left three people injured, with two leaseholders in critical condition. Videos of the attack, which took place in front of police and officials, have emerged.
The dispute centred around government land designated for a ballast mine in Anjad area. A farmer, Ramdas Koli, has been farming on this land for several years, although it is officially recorded as government property leased for soil excavation.
On Wednesday morning, leaseholders Neeraj Patidar and Sushil Patidar arrived with administrative staff to demarcate the contested land. As soon as the process began, villagers attacked them with sticks. Both Neeraj and Sushil suffered severe injuries and were transferred from Anjad Civil Hospital to Barwani District Hospital. The third leaseholder, Pankaj Patidar, sustained minor injuries.
SDM Jitendra Patel confirmed that an FIR was filed against the attackers based on complaints from the leaseholders. Anjad tehsildar Bhupendra Bhide and Naib tehsildar Aditya Pratap Singh were present at the scene for the demarcation process.
The leaseholders stated that they had applied to the district administration for the demarcation to take possession of the land. However, tensions escalated, leading to unexpected violence from the villagers who opposed the demarcation.
