On day-8 of strike, Revenue Inspectors demand unconditional release of Kundan Sharma
| Date :17-May-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
Durg
The indefinite strike launched by the Revenue Inspectors (RIs), in support of RI Kundan Sharma, who was arrested by Dhamdha Police on forgery charges, on Thursday entered the eighth day. Demanding unconditional release of their District President, Kundan Sharma, the agitating RIs continued their dharna near Manas Bhavan, Durg on Thursday. Although a delegation of the RIs also held discussions with the District Collector Ankit Anand in this regard but failed to reach any conclusion as the matter is already sub-judice. The agitating RIs also met with the Durg Superintendent of Police and apprised him with their demands.
According to information, on January 7 this year, Dhamdha Police had registered an offence against Patwari Soma Choudhary, Patwari Saurabh Dwivedi, RI Kundan Sharma, Corporator Manoj Yadav and Sarpanch Janki Ratre under sections 420, 467, 468 and 471-34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The government officers including the public representatives were accused of committing irregularities in distribution of 35 residential lease deeds in dependent village Sirnabhata under Daganiya Gram Panchayat in Dhamdha block.
They had allegedly demanded money from 10 ineligible persons to allot lease deeds to them and it was also alleged that these 10 persons were not even the residents of the village. Later on January 4, the Dhamdha Police had arrested the RI and the Corporator and the court had sent them to jail on judicial remand. A couple of days later, around 49 the RIs of the district under the banner of Chhattisgarh Rajasva Nirikshak Sangh sat on Dharna near Manas Bhavan demanding immediate release of RI Sharma. The agitating RIs alleged that their District President was a victim of faulty police investigation as he had no role to play in making the lease deeds.
They argued that the matter needs to be reinvestigated by the SDM and police officials concerned. They had also stated they will bring the matter into notice of the Human Rights Commission. Some of the agitating RIs included Vinod Dewangan, Vijay Sharma, E Rakesh, Pradeep Singh and others.