Eight participants of an anti-mining agitation in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district have been detained on Monday, November 20, after they reportedly stopped the way of security personnel heading towards a police station, officials said. Police are publicly claiming that “agitators allegedly stopped the way of security personnel from Gatta along with C-60 teams, a special anti-Maoist commando force of Maharashtra, who were all going towards Wangeturi through Todgatta to inaugurate a police station at Wangeturi on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border. The Gadchiroli police claimed some locals complained to them that they were being forced to sit on the protest by Maoists.
The police have detained eight of those people saying there was no use of any force by police. Residents of more than 70 tribal-dominated villages have been protesting in Todgatta village for over 250 days against six iron mines proposed at Surjagarh in Gadchiroli. The Gadchiroli police in a statement said a police station at Wangeturi on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border in Etapalli taluka here was proposed to be inaugurated on Monday.
When police parties from Gatta along with C-60 teams, a special anti-Maoist commando force of Maharashtra, were going towards Wangeturi through Todgatta, the agitators stopped them from going ahead, the police press release quoted by PTI, said. Some 10-15 people pushed the police parties, it added.
The police have detained eight of those people, the release said, adding there was no use of any force by police. The Gadchiroli police claimed some locals complained to them that they were being “forced to sit on the protest by Maoists.” The police have appealed to the people not to get influenced by Maoists and not to take law into their hands. A police station is being opened in that area to end the Maoist menace and make people live without any fear, the release also stated.
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