Daijiworld Media Network- Valpoi

Valpoi, Jul 25: Tension gripped Valpoi town on Thursday evening as over 500 villagers from Poriem gathered outside the local police station demanding the immediate withdrawal of cases filed against 37 residents. The cases are linked to a months-old protest near the Bhumika Temple in Poriem, Sattari taluka.

The villagers alleged that the charges were falsely levelled by Valpoi police in connection with a temple protest held several months ago. Summons have been issued to the accused villagers, with a court hearing scheduled for July 25.

The spontaneous gathering led to a volatile situation at the Valpoi police station, with heated exchanges erupting between villagers and Police Inspector Videsh Shirodkar. Locals questioned the legitimacy of the police action, accusing them of failing to conduct a proper inquiry before filing cases.

When PI Shirodkar advised the villagers to approach the court with a legal representative, it further angered the crowd. “We are innocent and have done nothing wrong. Why should we hire a lawyer when no crime was committed?” said one of the agitated villagers. They alleged that while over 4,000 people had participated in the original temple protest, police arbitrarily named 37 individuals.

“This is injustice. The protest was peaceful and aimed at protecting our temple. Instead of identifying the real culprits, the police have targeted innocent villagers,” another local added.

Poriem MLA Deviya Rane, intervening in the matter, assured the villagers that she had raised their concerns with Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, who responded positively. Following this assurance, the protest was called off. CM Sawant has reportedly scheduled a meeting with the villagers on Friday to address the issue.

The villagers now await action from the state government, hoping for justice and a withdrawal of what they term as baseless charges.