Nagpur: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes has issued an arrest warrant against Chandrapur Collector Vinay Gowda for failing to appear before the Commission in connection with a case involving tribal land. The warrant was issued through a letter to Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Sheth to ensure Gowda’s presence before the Commission’s court on March 2.
The order came in connection with the Kosambi village case. The land belonging to tribal villagers of Kosambi village in Rajura taluka were given to cement companies for extraction of limestone sometime 40 years ago. But the tribals have not been paid compensation till date. The land still belongs to the tribal villagers but the cement companies are still carrying out limestone extraction work there.
Vinod Khobragade, a government employee-turned social worker, had filed a complaint with the Commission, alleging that the government had allocated 63.62 hectares of land belonging to tribals from Kosambi village in Chandrapur to a cement company. The land, which was allocated for limestone mining over 40 years ago, was done without the tribals’ consent and without paying them any compensation, said the complaint.
The Commission had, on September 29,2022, issued summons and asked the then District Collector Ajay Gulhane to submit his stand over the land lease of this tribals. As Gulhane failed to give his reply, the Commission had issued another notice again on January 2, 2023 to the existing Collector Vinay Gowda and asked him to file the reply. However, he also failed to submit the same. The Commission again issued a summons and asked Collector Gowda to remain present before the Commission on February 16.
Instead, the Collector Gowda sent the Deputy Collector, Chandrapur to represent him before the Commission. Not satisfied with this, the Commission on February 21, 2023 ordered to immediately arrest the concerned District Collector Vinay Gowda and produce him in front of the Commission on March 2, which is the next date in the matter.
Talathi Vinod Khobragade has alleged that then Collector Ajay Gulhane, present Collector Vinay Gowda, Additional Collector Vidyut Warkhedkar, Sub Divisional Officer Sampat Khalate, Rajura, District Mining Officer Suresh Naitam, the then Tehsildar Prashant Subhash Bedse have abused their position and authority and cheated the tribals. Khobragade has demanded that criminal action should be taken against all of them.
