Maharashtra: Case against 150 sugarcane farmers for protest

@the_news_21

Police have registered a case against nearly 150 farmers for gathering outside the office of sugar department’s regional assistant director in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad city without permission to press for their demands, a police official official said on Sunday.

Large gatherings are not allowed in the district in the wake of the COVID-19 situation.

The incident took place on Friday when sugarcane farmers gathered in front of the assistant director’s office, demanding that the cultivators’ money deposited in a sugar cooperative factory’s bank accounts be released, he said.

Majority of the protesting farmers were from Gangapur and Lasur areas of the district, he said.

A case was registered against them on Friday at Kranti Chowk police station under IPC sections for unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, rioting, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant and negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life, he added.

Last month, the Aurangabad police registered a case against BJP MLA Prashant Bamb and 15 others for allegedly transferring over Rs 9 crore, deposited by farmers in a sugar factory-related case, into the bank accounts of people not linked to the matter, an official earlier said.

Bamb, who represents Gangapur constituency in the district and is also the chairman of Gangapur co-operative sugar factory, has denied the allegations levelled against him.