# NGO alleges eviction of 21 tribal families, Narwekar denies

2026-11-04T04:08:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Sarvahara Jan Andolan on 3 November alleged that 21 Katkari tribal families from Mhatroli village in Alibaug were forcibly evicted in March 2024, a month after Sarojini Narwekar, wife of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, bought a 15-acre plot there for Rs 14 crore. The NGO said houses were demolished without notice, and families were threatened into signing documents relinquishing claims. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar dismissed the allegations, calling them an attempt to defame him. He said the previous owner had resettled families who had 'encroached' on the land, and that all earlier complaints were withdrawn voluntarily through affidavits. Police Inspector Somnath Lande said no FIR was registered and that one complainant, Sumati Naik, withdrew her statement on 25 October.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Times of India and Hindustan Times both report Sarvahara Jan Andolan's allegations that 21 or 20 Katkari tribal families were forcibly evicted from land bought by Rahul Narwekar's wife. Hindustan Times adds Narwekar's denial, calling the claims a revival of a settled issue and saying the families had encroached. Times of India notes Narwekar did not respond to its calls. Orissa Post covers a separate case in Odisha, not the same event. On the shared story, the two outlets present the allegation and the denial. The balanced reading is that the allegation and the counter-claim both stand, pending any investigation Narwekar says is closed and the NGO says is needed. No next step is named by the sources, the state human rights commission dismissed the plea, per both.

## Coverage

Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/twenty-tribal-families-forcibly-evicted-homes-razed-in-2024-organisation-alleges-demands-case-under-sc/st-act-against-maharashtra-assembly-speaker-rahul-narwekar-wife/articleshow/135510213.cms>
  Leads with NGO allegation, omits Narwekar's denial
- hindustantimes.com (neutral report) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/tribals-were-forcibly-removed-from-plot-bought-by-rahul-narwekar-s-wife-ngo-101793734307060.html>
  Leads with NGO allegation, includes Narwekar's full denial
- orissapost.com (neutral report) <https://www.orissapost.com/nhrc-seeks-report-on-eviction-of-dalit-family-in-odishas-nabarangpur/>
  Unrelated story: separate eviction case in Odisha

This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.

Tags: Katkari, Rahul Narwekar, Raigad, Sarvahara Jan Andolan, SC/ST Act
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ngo-alleges-eviction-of-21-tribal-families-narwekar-denies/
License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources.
Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ngo-alleges-eviction-of-21-tribal-families-narwekar-denies/#story-in-brief

How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/
