Tribal land encroachment in Sonapur: Five arrested, including ex-gaon panchayat chief
The arrested individuals were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court on Tuesday
AT Photo: Uproar during eviction drive in Sonapur
Jorabat, Nov. 13: Sonapur police have arrested five individuals, including former Gaon Panchayat president Nur Ahmed Laskar, in connection with the encroachment of protected tribal belt land in the area, recently.
The arrested individuals were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court on Tuesday, as authorities continue their probe into the growing encroachment issue.
The arrests, made under Sonapur PS case no.: 191/ 2024, include Laskar (44), Abu Kausar (41), Dulal Ali (40), Akhtar Hussain (37), and Tabjul Ali (44) for allegedly facilitating the illegal settlement of land in violation of land protection laws.
They are facing multiple charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 191(2), 191(3), 149, 121(2), 132, 117(2), 118(2), 109, 324(4), 61(2), 125, and 324(5), as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
Recently, Sonapur has been in the spotlight due to alleged encroachments and witnessed violent clashes during an eviction drive carried out by the government in September
The drive, which was aimed at removing alleged illegal settlers from tribal land, led to the deaths of two individuals on September 12 during a confrontation between the police and local residents.
According to government officials, the settlers in question had encroached on land designated for tribal use. However, the settlers have long disputed these claims, stating that the land was passed down to them by their ancestors, some of whom have been living there since the 1920s.
The situation took a legal turn on September 30 when the Supreme Court intervened on behalf of the residents of Kosutoli, a village in Sonapur.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan issued a stay order, halting the eviction and demolition of structures in the area.
This followed a contempt of court petition filed by 48 residents, who argued that the eviction was in violation of a previous interim order issued by the Court.
