Shiv Sena activists fling ash on Thane's senior forest officer

  • | Tuesday | 20th November, 2018

"I informed the forest officials that some miscreants were bent on sabotaging the afforestation programme. But despite the ruckus and use of force on a senior official, the police did not use the stringent section; this shows the police are under pressure from Sena," said Paranjpe. "A common citizen is arrested immediately after a small incident by the traffic police using section 353. A heated argument ensued, and at that point, a woman party worker flung ash as well as burnt plants on the senior forest officer.Later Shinde arrived at the cabin and demanded to know what action has been taken on his complaint. However, a week has gone by since my complaint and there is no action.

Thane: A senior forest official was roughed up and humiliated by hurling ash and ink at him on Monday by a violent group of Shiv Sena activists protesting the alleged inaction in probing the burning of 70,000 saplings planted by Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde Chief conservator of forests (Thane) Rajendra Kadam was the target of the 100-plus throng of Sena activists who attacked him inside his office at Kopri here.The Sainiks were upset that though Shinde had reported the butchering of the trees planted on 80 acres on a hillock near Ambernath, the department proved apathetic in protecting them and later no action was taken to probe the incident.Shinde has been aggressively pursuing afforestation programs in the Kalyan-Ambernath belt and successfully implemented water conservation and watershed programmes to combat the water crisis in the area."I informed the forest officials that some miscreants were bent on sabotaging the afforestation programme. However, a week has gone by since my complaint and there is no action. It shows their complicity and the tendency to turn a blind eye to all illegal activities in the forest," Shinde told TOI.The emergence of the mob in the morning built enough pressure on the forest officials for Kadam to promptly order the suspension of RFO (Badlapur) Chandrakant Shelke for dereliction of duty and order an inquiry against him. But the Sainiks were not satisfied. A team of party workers barged into Kadam's cabin. A heated argument ensued, and at that point, a woman party worker flung ash as well as burnt plants on the senior forest officer.Later Shinde arrived at the cabin and demanded to know what action has been taken on his complaint. As many as 47 Sainiks, including the MP, were arrested and released on bail. They have been charged with obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty, wrongful restraint, endangering the lives of others, etc, said DCP Avinash Ambure.NCP city chief Anand Paranjpe condemned the incident and demanded that IPC section 353 for assault and use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty be invoked. "A common citizen is arrested immediately after a small incident by the traffic police using section 353. But despite the ruckus and use of force on a senior official, the police did not use the stringent section; this shows the police are under pressure from Sena," said Paranjpe.

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