A WOMAN HAD ALLEGED THAT COLONEL GAIKWAD ALONG WITH ARMY JAWANS PLOUGHED THE DISPUTED LAND AND DAMAGED CROPS
PUNE:The army’s Southern Command on Tuesday denied that any “altercation” between soldiers and villagers had taken place at Gulani in Maharashtra’s Nasik district three days earlier.
It said a “few affluent people” of Gulani involved in a land dispute with colonel Kedar Vijay Gaikwad’s family had lodged a First Information Report in this regard.A woman had filed a police complaint alleging that Col Gaikwad brought 30-40 Army jawans in military trucks to the disputed land on June 22 and ploughed it with a tractor and damaged crops. Police had said that the woman is a relative of one Sunil Bharne, who is involved in a sub-judice dispute over the disputed plot with the Gaikwad ‘s brother. “No altercation took place between the villagers and army personnel, and the party of army personnel had halted for lunch at colonel Kedar Vijay Gaikwad’s house while heading to Nashik,” the Southern Command said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that an ammunition collection party comprising one JCO and 13 other ranks along with four army vehicles proceeded to Dehu Road for collection of ammunition on June 18.
“The same party was to move from Dehu Road to Devlali field firing range in Nashik for training activity,” it said.
“On June 22, after collection of ammunition, while on the move from Dehu Road to Nashik, the party halted for lunch at the house of the Commanding Officer Colonel Kedar Gaikwad, who was on leave, in Gulani village,” the statement said. It added as per the standard procedure, the ammunition collection party had an armed escort, which continued to stand near the ammunition loaded vehicles and the remaining party moved for lunch to the house of the army officer, which was 500 metres away. “After lunch, the party left for Nashik. No altercation or interaction reportedly took place between the villagers and the army personnel,” said the statement.