Fresh case against Ganpat Gaikwad, 7 others under Atrocities Act

Thane police Crime Branch, which is now investigating the case, are trying to trace Ganpat’s son Vaibhav and two others who were allegedly at the police station when the incident occurred. “We are trying to locate them, questioning people associated with them as well as Ganpat,” said an officer from the Crime Branch.

The complainant Neeta Eknath Jadhav alias Madhumati and her family are locked in a dispute with Pramod Ranka, partner in M/s Fairdeal Developers, a partnership firm, ever since 2012 over Jadhav’s land in Dwarli village in Ambernath.

The family has been legally fighting for the land and currently their appeal pertaining to the land’s possession is pending before the revenue department, Maharashtra government.

According to Jadhav’s statement to the police, they discovered that despite their appeal before the government, Ranka allegedly deputed a guard at the site and also installed CCTV cameras and erected a tin shed compound wall.

Jadhav along with two women relatives, accompanied by others, visited the site on the afternoon of January 31.

“When we reached the site, Ganpat Gaikwad and his men were already there. When I asked why they were erecting a tin shed compound when the matter over the land was before the revenue department, Ganpat picked up a spade, rushed towards us and started shouting at us. He hurled casteist slurs at us, abused us, insulted us openly and knew that we all belong to Mahar caste,” Jadhav stated in the FIR.

“Ganpat also threatened us by saying that he would not leave the land at any cost and challenged us to approach whichever court we wanted,” she alleged in her statement.

Jadhav informed her husband and family about the incident and on Friday night approached Hill Line police station to lodge a complaint against Ganpat and others. At the police station she spotted that Jitendra Parikh of Fairdeal Developers was already there and was filing a complaint against them. Meanwhile, Ganpat and his associates also arrived at the police station.

While the police were recording the statement of Jadhav she heard gunshots fired by Ganpat after which people started running helter skelter. She too went back home and returned to the police station on Saturday and filed a case against Ganpat and seven others.

The Hill Line police have booked Ganpat and seven others under Sections 143, 147, 149, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 3(1)(f), 3(1)(r), and 3(1)(s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Meanwhile, Mahesh remains in the ICU of Jupiter hospital in Thane and his condition remains critical.