CG NEWS: Farmer put in goon list, High Court seeks response from police

Bilaspur. Police registered five FIRs one after the other against a farmer who opposed giving land to Jindal Power Plant and put his name in the goonda list. The victim challenged this action in the High Court. In the preliminary hearing, the court has put an interim stay on inclusion in the goonda list and has issued notice to the state government and police and sought a reply.

Ashutosh Bohidar of Tamnar told in the petition that the land registered in the name of his mother was included in the land acquisition being done for the proposed Jindal Power Plant. He had opposed this. After the protest, in June 2022, the police registered 5 cases of breach of peace, attack, threat etc. against him and put his name in the goonda list. He got this information after seeking information under the Right to Information, while the police has not given him any notice, summons etc. In the High Court, the division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha held that no one can be declared a goon without following due process. The court has issued notice to the state government and police and asked them to file a reply.