PERNEM
The irate group of villagers had retaliated by blocking the NH17 (66) highway in protest on Friday night.
According to reports, Prabhakar Mahale and two friends had gone for a walk on Friday at about 8 pm towards the railway bridge at Uvgem, when they were confronted by a group supporting sand extraction activity.
The group then took Mahale to Poraskade in their vehicle and assaulted him.
Fearing that he could die of injuries, the group took him to the Tuem hospital, while Mahale's friends rushed back to Ugvem and narrated the incident to the residents.
Outrage over the assault on Mahale, an irate group of locals gathered at Mahadev Mandir and later blocked traffic along the NH17 (66) highway, demanding the arrest of the culprits.
A police team led by Pernem PI Sandesh Chodankar rushed to the site and pacified the agitators.
"This is a clear incident that those opposing sand extraction activities are attacked and those who in the illegal business are protected by police. The government is giving protection to the sand mafia. If this is not stopped, we will be forced to start an agitation," warned Bhalchandra Mahale of
Ugvem.
Former Ugvem sarpanch Shashikant Mahale alleged that there is a nexus between the police and the sand mafia. "If those who attacked Prabhakar Mahale are not arrested, we will agitate and block traffic once again," warned Shashikant Mahale.
Pernem Police later booked cases against 10 persons under Section 140, 147, 143 R/W section 149, 324, 325 and 504.
