Indore : Guards of the Indian Institute of Technology-Indore and farmers of a village adjacent to the institute’s upcoming campus came face-to-face on Monday when the former allegedly tried to block an opening connecting the villagers to the main road. The villagers filed a complaint with Simrol police station alleging that they were lathicharged by the guards and demanded to seize the materials brought to the disputed site by the institute administration to block their way.
The IIT-Indore administration also filed a complaint with the police alleging that the villagers were obstructing the institute’s work on the land allocated for its campus. “About 1.30 pm, IIT-Indore personnel brought some barricades in a crane to the only entrance of our village and tried to block it. As we protested against their move, the guards cane charged us,” one of the villagers, Vijay Kumawat claimed.
The villagers also retorted but Sarpanch Dinesh Silwadiya stepped in and pacified both the sides. After the incident, both the sides lodged police complaints against each other. Between gate number 1 and 2 of the IIT-Indore campus, there is an opening which connects farmers of a village to the main road.
The IIT-Indore administration wants that opening to be closed as it facilitates the entry of villagers to its campus. The dispute between the villagers and the institute reached the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court and is sub-judice.
For the past three days, the institute administration is reportedly trying to setup a barricade at the opening but to no avail due to the protesting villagers. On Monday, the institute forcefully tried to block the dispute site which led to the brawl. IIT-Indore media in-charge Nirmala Menon could not be reached for her comment over the issue.
