Dombivli: A long-running land ownership dispute in Sonarpada-Mangaon, under the jurisdiction of Manpada police station, escalated into a confrontation after a developer allegedly arrived at the site with bouncers and attempted to carry out action against residential structures using a JCB.
Villagers block JCB movement
The move was strongly opposed by local villagers, triggering a confrontation that allegedly left six people injured. Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, showing villagers standing directly in front of the JCB to prevent it from moving ahead. In some footage, people can also be seen climbing onto the earthmover during the standoff.
According to villagers, the dispute centres on the ownership of the land and documents related to the property. They alleged that the developer arrived at the site accompanied by bouncers and attempted to begin the JCB operation despite their objections.
Developer denies allegations
The allegations, however, have been rejected by developer Rameshwar Gupta, who termed the claims against him baseless. Gupta maintained that he had legally purchased the disputed property and denied using force against the villagers.
Gupta made counter-allegations, claiming that an inspection of the property revealed around 60 rooms had been constructed on the disputed land. He alleged that these rooms were subsequently sold to people for approximately Rs 8 lakh each, resulting in their alleged financial loss.
Police begin investigation
Gupta further claimed that his side came under attack when the action was being carried out and alleged that the villagers assaulted members of his team. He reiterated that the allegations of forcibly attempting to demolish homes were false.
The confrontation briefly created a tense situation in the locality, with the viral videos adding to the controversy surrounding the land dispute.
The Manpada police are examining complaints and counter-allegations from both sides. Police officials said the process of registering a case is underway and statements and other available evidence will be examined as part of the investigation.
The police are also expected to verify the ownership documents, circumstances surrounding the proposed JCB action and the claims regarding the construction and alleged sale of the rooms before deciding the further course of action.
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