Army backs Colonel accused of using jawans in Maha land tussle

Three days after villagers in Maharashtra's Nashik district accused a Colonel of using uniformed jawans to intervene in a land dispute and one of them filed a police complaint, the Southern Command of the Indian Army Tuesday said no such "altercation" took place. It accused "few affluent people" of Gulani village, who were involved in a land dispute with the Colonel's family, of lodging the FIR.

A woman had filed a complaint with Khed police station alleging that Colonel Kedar Vijay Gaikwad, on June 22, brought 30-40 Army jawans in military trucks to the disputed land, ploughed it with a tractor and damaged crops. Police had said the woman is a relative of one Sunil Bharne, who is involved in a sub-judice dispute over the plot in question with the Colonel's brother.

In its statement Tuesday, the Southern Command said, "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 reply 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 that was scheduled from June 28 onwards," 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 read. It further added that 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. "Few affluent people of the same village who were involved in the land dispute with the family of Gaikwad lodged an FIR, alleging that the officer used armed soldiers to threaten villagers. The matter is being investigated," the statement informed.

Talking to PTI, Colonel Gaikwad said he was on leave and since men from his unit were passing through the village, he had invited them for lunch. "My men came to the house, had lunch and left for Nashik. All these allegations of damaging crops and trying to terrorise people are false and baseless," he said.

Meanwhile, District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said the Khed sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been asked to submit a report, based on which further action will be taken.