Now Reading: NGO alleges eviction of 21 tribal families, Narwekar denies
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NGO alleges eviction of 21 tribal families, Narwekar denies
The Story in Brief
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said the previous owner had resettled families who had 'encroached' on the land, and that all earlier complaints were withdrawn voluntarily through affidavits.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: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), orissapost.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
