Pradeep Ramteke
Editor-in-Chief
The serious issue of how Manikgarh Cement Company illegally excavated 200 to 250 feet deep into the surface land of 24 tribal farmers in Mouza Kusumbi, Jivati taluka, Chandrapur district, was brought to the attention of the judges of the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court, who have now sought a report on the actual sequence of events from the concerned officials within 15 days.
As a result, the revenue department will now have to submit a report on the actual events to the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court by February 9, 2026.
Vinod Khobragade, a social activist and Patwari, had filed criminal case number 657/2021 against Manikgarh Cement Company, Ultratech Cement Company, and revenue officials at the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court, and he has been continuously following up on the case since then.
The 63.62 hectares of surface land belonging to 24 tribal farmers in Mouza Kusumbi was leased to the company by the District Collector of Chandrapur in 1985 at a rate of Rs. 12,500 per hectare, according to Section 48 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. However, it was not given for excavation purposes. However, the Manikgarh Cement Company has not paid the rent for the surface area of the agricultural land to the farmers from 1985 till date. Despite the entire surface area of the agricultural land being leased, and illegal limestone mining continuing uninterrupted for 45 years, the revenue officials have remained silently complicit.
Patwari Vinod Khobragade first exposed this massive scam in 2013. Yet, the revenue administration was deceiving the Maharashtra government.
The then Tehsildar of Jivati, without having the authority, made changes to the 7/12 extract in a single day after 36 years, adding the name of Manikgarh Cement Company. When this illegal change came to light, many questions were raised regarding the Tehsildar of Jivati.
In 2018, the then Tehsildar of Jivati allowed Manikgarh Cement Company to forcibly seize the agricultural land of 24 tribal people in Mouza Kunsubi, without providing any compensation through cheques. However, they are illegally mining limestone.
This has caused significant environmental damage; there is no permission from the pollution control board for the mining, and a large amount of government royalty has been evaded for 36 years. A report was submitted to the superiors stating that the company was misleading and committing fraud by showing deceptive documents in the notice.
Again in 2021, the then Tehsildar of Jivati, using a bogus mutation entry number 248, handed over the village land of Kunsubi, including the village settlement area, to Manikgarh Cement Company and Ultratech Cement Company.
Talathi Vinod Khobragade filed an appeal in the court of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Rajura, and the said mutation entry number 248 was cancelled.
In 2025, the Divisional Additional Commissioner, Nagpur, approved the revision filed by Patwari Vinod Khobragade and issued directions to the Additional Collector, Chandrapur. The Additional District Collector of Chandrapur, on December 4, 2025, instructed the District Mining Officer Chandrapur, Land Acquisition Deputy Collector Chandrapur, Pollution Control Board Chandrapur, Forest Department Central Chanda, Sub-Divisional Officer Rajura, and Tehsildar Jivati to provide accurate information regarding appropriate action and compensation.
While all this was happening, after 45 years, Manikgarh Cement Company and Ultratech Cement Company and their officials went to Kunsubi village and held a meeting with 24 farmers, taking their thumb impressions on the promise of providing compensation for 63.62 hectares of agricultural land and houses by September 30, 2025. However, the farmers have not received any compensation to date.
All this information, along with documentary evidence, was brought to the notice of the judges of the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court by Vinod Khobragade, a Patwari, through his lawyer.
The judges took the matter seriously and have sought a response from the company, the government, and revenue officials within two weeks, by February 9, 2026.
In this case, the company has been perpetrating injustice and oppression against the tribal farmers of Mauja Kunsubi for 45 years. All the tribal farmers were disheartened due to the oppression.
However, Vinod Khobragade, a Patwari, took the initiative and filed Criminal Petition No. 657/2021 in the Mumbai High Court, Nagpur bench, and is pursuing the matter.
Vinod Khobragade, a social activist and Patwari, responsible citizen, law student, student of the Indian Constitution, public servant, project-affected farmer, public representative, and RTI activist from Warora (District Chandrapur), is appealing through a press note to the 24 tribal farmers of Kunsubi to be wary of middlemen and not to give their thumb impressions anywhere, assuring them that they will definitely get justice and their rights. The detailed information is as follows:
The Government of Maharashtra granted a lease of 643.62 hectares of land to M/s. Manikgarh Cement Company on August 17, 1981. This includes survey numbers 34 and 35 of Mouza Nokari village, measuring 145.040 and 170.04 hectares respectively.
All the government land in Mauja Kunsubi village, comprising survey numbers 35, 57, 58, 59, with areas of 93.89, 66.00, 22.02, and 145.04 hectares respectively, totaling 643.62 hectares, has been given on a 50-year lease.
This lease includes the survey numbers of 24 tribal farmers from Mauja Kunsubi: 4/1, 4/2, 6, 7/2, 7/3, 7/4, 7/5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. There is no mention of the total area of 63.62 hectares/ares of this agricultural land according to the survey numbers. Mauja Kunsubi is a village entirely inhabited by the Kolam tribal community, and this village falls under the PESA Act.
On May 16, 2018, the Tehsildar of Jivati submitted a report to the government on 30 points, presenting an objective report against Manikgarh Cement Company. The report stated that the company had evaded government revenue for 36 years and was forcibly committing injustice and atrocities against the 24 tribal farmers of Mauja Kunsubi.
Talathi Vinod Khobragade informed the revenue officers first, based on the Maharashtra Government’s circular dated December 20, 2001, that the directors of Manikgarh Cement Company were illegally and unlawfully destroying a large number of forest trees, without environmental clearance or permission from the Pollution Control Board, and had evaded crores of rupees in industrial and agricultural taxes, and were committing injustice and atrocities against the tribals.
Later, he informed the police administration, and then the Maharashtra government, but no action was taken by them. The entire population of Chandrapur district is eagerly watching to see what action the judges of the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court will take on February 9, 2026.
Vinod Khobragade has also brought to the court’s attention, with evidence, that the company is holding meetings with some brokers and taking the thumb impressions of 24 tribal people from Kunsubi village.
