Nagpur: Viveksingh Sisodiya, who has been raising voice against ‘illegal’ mining in Chakki-Khapa village and other parts of Nagpur district, was attacked and injured severely by six members of a family and two other persons on Tuesday evening. Sisodiya’s two sons were also assaulted and injured. However, in the counter complaint, Sisodiya and his two sons have been accused of thrashing an elderly member of the accused family. The Koradi cops, acting on both complaints, have booked all the accused in this connection.
According to police, construction of Outer Ring Road under National Highway is undergoing in village Chakki-Khapa area. The work is being carried out by Pune-based contractor – MEP Company. Due to frequent trips of tipper trucks at the work site, huge dust was causing pollution hazard in the entire area. Taking a serious note of the issue, Viveksingh Sisodiya (51), resident of Chakki-Khapa, took up the matter with MEP Engineer Patil and was discussing how to control eruption of dust. Sisodiya asked the MEP Company to spray water on the road at least twice a day so that dust would not erupt. Accordingly, the firm started spraying water but irregularly. Upset with this irregularity, Sisodiya on Tuesday around 6.30 stopped the concrete miller of the company and was discussing the issue with the officials. At the same time, the six accused namely Ratnakar Thakre, who is Gram Panchayat member, his brother, Mahadeo Thakre, son of Shriram Thakre, son of Gajanan Thakre, another Thakre member and two other unidentified persons accosted Sisodiya and confronted him. The accused asked him why he is asking spraying of water at construction site. This is causing monetary loss to Gram Panchayat member who is taking money ‘unofficially.’ Even before Sisodiya could respond, the accused attacked him and his two sons Digvijaysingh and Jaisingh with lathis and stones and inflicted bloody injuries.
According to Sisodiya, the Gram Panchayat member Ratnakar Thakre was selling water provided by Agriculture Department to builders and the company constructing the road. He had complained to the Agriculture Department in this connection. Subsequently, a team of officials had investigated the matter yesterday itself.
On the other hand, in a counter complaint, Mahadeo Janbaji Thakre (65), resident of Chakki-Khapa, near Bhonsala Military School, told police that he was returning home in his bullock cart around 6.30 pm. At the same time, the accused Viveksingh Vishnusingh Sisodiya, his two sons Digvijaysingh and Jaisingh stopped his bullock cart and accused him of stealing cotton from their farm. The three accused also hit Mahadeop Thakre with stones and threatened him.
Koradi PSI Kankal, acting on complaint of Sisodiya, booked the six members of Thakre family under Sections 143, 144, 147, 148, 324 of the IPC. On the other hand, the PSI Kankal, based on counter complaint of Mahadeo Thakre, has also booked Sisodiya and his two sons under Sections 324, 341, 504, 506, 34 of the IPC. Further investigations are on.
Notably, Viveksingh Sisodiya has been raising his voice against illegal mining in many areas nearby Chakki-Khapa, Bharatwada and other areas since past year and was taking head on contractors, transporters as well as babus. He had also highlighted ‘illegal’ excavation at hillock behind Bhonsala Military School. According to Sisodiya, the site for excavation was leased by district administration in a well-planned strategy. The hillock behind Bhonsala Military School was being excavated for murum so that the land gets levelled. The levelled land could then be leased to an educational institute as additional space for years.
