Pradeep Ramteke
Editor-in-Chief
It has come to light that a shocking incident occurred where the directors of Manikgarh Cement Company and Ultratech Cement Company, without providing compensation for their agricultural land and houses, demolished the homes of 24 tribal people in Mauja Kusumbi, Jivati taluka, Chandrapur district, using bulldozers on Friday, February 6, 2026, rendering them homeless. This is a serious case from Mauja Kusumbi, where 24 families have been rendered homeless, and those responsible have used force, committing atrocities and injustice against them. Therefore, the Maharashtra government and the local administration should immediately take suo motu action against the directors, management officers, and other individuals involved in both responsible companies, under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other necessary serious sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The sequence of events involving the illegal atrocities and injustice committed against the tribal people of Mauja Kusumbi by the directors and management officers of the said cement company, simply because they are poor and uneducated, is serious and shocking.
For the past 45 years, the directors of this company have been illegally excavating limestone without providing compensation for the agricultural land and houses of the 24 tribal families of Mauja Kusumbi, and now they have even destroyed their homes.
This shows that their actions are feudalistic, dictatorial, exploitative, oppressive, and constitute injustice and atrocities against them.
A criminal writ petition filed by Vinod Khobragade is pending before the Mumbai High Court, Nagpur Bench, and a hearing is scheduled for June 9, 2026.
During a meeting, the company gave a written assurance to the farmers that they would provide compensation for the agricultural land and houses by September 30, 2025, but they have not provided the compensation to date.
On February 4th and 5th, the company, even though the Tehsildar of Jivati did not have the authority for land acquisition, made the 24 tribal people of Kusumbi sign agreements/affidavits without providing any compensation for their agricultural land and houses. Then, on February 6, 2026, the company used bulldozers to demolish their homes – this is sheer injustice!
Vinod Khobragade, a researcher of the incident, has sent photographs showing the resistance put up by the farmers of Kusumbi on February 6, 2026. This sequence of events is being pursued through advocate Vinod Khobragade in the Mumbai High Court. The matter will be brought to the attention of the Nagpur bench of the court on 9/2/2026.
However, the Maharashtra government and the local responsible administration must provide an answer as to under which legal framework the tribals were rendered homeless.
