DECEMBER 5: State Janata Dal spokesperson, Kapil Patil, former Congress MLA Ram Padangle and leader of the Manav Hakk Abhiyan, Damodar Gaikwad were arrested by the Samata Nagar police as they tried to stall yet another demolition drive by the civic authorities at Gautam Nagar in Kandivli (E).Around 12 activists were allegedly injured in the police lathi charge as they tried to stop the demolition.Demolitions of the structures on forest land at Kandivli have been going on for the past one week now. A total of 20,000 hutments are alleged to have been demolished, dishousing around 80,000 people.The Janata Dal has alleged that the demolition continued despite an assurance from chief minister Manohar Joshi that those who lived in the structures before the cut-off date of January 1, 1995 would be spared and given alternative accommodation before demolition.Despite this assurance, given late yesterday night to a delegation led by the Maharashtra Minorities Front, the demolitions took place today, they said.``Almost all the residents living here have substantial proof that they were here before January 1995,'' said Kapil Patil from the Samata Nagar police station late this evening. ``We tried to stop the demolitions since we had received an assurance only last night. We also tried to contact the state government, but nothing came of it,'' he said. With the chief minister out of station today, there was no court of appeal, he added. Around a 1,000 hutments were demolished today, Patil said.While Narayan Rane, state minister for rehabilitation, was unavailable for comment, in a press release issued today he reiterated the state government's desire to give alternate accommodation before demolishing structures existing before the cut-off date. Meeting a delegation led by the Maharashtra Minorities Front yesterday, Rane said he would be discussing the issue with the chief minister before bringing out a detailed report on the relocation. He added that any untoward incident happening during the demolitions would be inquired into.
