Sarpanch assaulted for NOC to beer shop; 'bandh' observed in village in protest

Palghar, Jan 10 (PTI) The sarpanch of a village in Maharashtra's Palghar district was allegedly attacked with sticks by a group of persons on Friday for granting a no objection certificate (NOC) to a beer shop, police said.

Local residents and shopkeepers observed a 'bandh' to protest against the attack on Chetan Patil, the sarpanch of Manor village.

"The incident occurred in the morning at the gram panchayat office. A local resident, Alvi Altaf Rais, questioned the sarpanch about issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) to set up a beer shop in the village. Their altercation soon turned into a fight, in which Rais and four to five others attacked Patil with sticks," a police official said.

The incident created tension in the village. The supporters of the sarpanch gathered outside the local police station to seek action against the accused. A 'bandh' was called to show solidarity with him and all the establishments in the local market remained shut throughout the day.

Police registered a case against Rais under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), but no arrest has been made so far, the police official added.

Last month, Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was allegedly abducted and tortured to death for allegedly opposing an extortion attempt targeting an energy firm operating a windmill project. The incident has led state-wide protests. PTI COR NP