Aurangabad, Dec 4:
The police alleged to have been resorted to lathi-charge and then arrested when the farmers from Gangapur tehsil were trying to take possession of the office of the joint director (sugar) at Kranti Chowk, today morning.
The farmers observed a ''Thiyya Andolan'' in front of the office, since the morning. They were holding placards in their hands and shouting slogans to register their protest. Santosh Jadhav Patil, Nandkumar Gandhile and Zilla Parishad vice president L G Gaikwad led the agitation. There was tight police security deployed at the office. As a result, the farmers could not take possession of the office.
Santosh Patil then took an aggressive move and went close to the office with farmers. In the meantime, an officer Swamy came out of the office and told them that the meeting is going on in the office of the sugar commissioner (Pune). He also assured them of sharing the decision taken in the meeting. However, the farmers were not satisfied with his statement. In the meantime, the farmers proceeded towards Kranti Chowk to stage a rasta roko. The police swung into action and detained all of them. The cops resorted to lathi-charge while making the farmers sit in the van. The cops took all of them to the Kranti Chowk police station.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the sugar factory and Gangapur MLA Prashant Bamb while speaking to media persons accused the minister Jayant Patil of not starting the Gangapur Co-operative Sugar Factory. Under political pressure, the offences were filed against us. Besides, without verifying the facts, the bank accounts of farmers (members) had been sealed. This is an intentional act, and the farmers of Gangapur will not tolerate it. We will not bear the injustice, he said.