Author: Satish Nandgaonkar &
Deepak Joshi
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: November 27, 2002
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=13795
Seven Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) members were arrested by the Padgha rural police in Thane district
on charges of outraging the modesty of Adivasi women on the eve of gram
panchayat elections held two weeks ago.
The alleged incident occurred on
November 13 when the accused forcibly entered Adivasi houses in Khairpada,
40 km from Thane city, and threatened them to abstain from voting on the
next day.
''We were sleeping when some people
started kicking the door. When we opened the door, they started abusing
and beating up our men. Men ran out into the forest. They beat us up. They
tore our clothes. They threatened us to abstain from voting,'' said Saraswati
Thombre, wife of Ganpat Thombre, BJP candidate for the panchayat poll.
According to locals, Thombre controlled
19 crucial votes of the Adivasis which would have ensured victory for the
BJP-led Ganpat Patil panel. ''To deny them a victory, NCP-backed Yashwant
Halke sent hired goons to terrorise the Adivasis and ensure that they didn't
cast votes the next day,'' alleged Balaram Bhoir of the Shramajeevi Sanghatana,
which represents the tribals in the district.
The tribals said they tried to lodge
a complaint on November 14 at the Padgha police station, but were not allowed
to register a case.
On November 21, the police arrested
Yashwant Halke and six of his associates. They were granted judicial custody
till December 5, and sent to Adharwadi jail.
Over 200 Adivasis today staged a
four-hour dharna outside the police station. Engraged over the eight-day
delay in registering the offence, the Adivasis refused to end the dharna
until the police took action against the duty officer who would not lodge
a complaint. The crowd also forced the police to return Rs 500 which a
constable had ''extorted'' from a villager.
