Villagers booked for holding wrestling match near NAINA protest venue

The Panvel City police have registered a case against more than 130 individuals for allegedly organizing a wrestling match near the site of an ongoing indefinite hunger strike opposing the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Area (NAINA) scheme in Turmale Village Naka along the Mumbai-Goa highway in Panvel. The wrestling match was intended to express solidarity with those participating in the hunger strike, who were demanding the withdrawal of the NAINA scheme. Police reported that the wrestling match took place without the necessary permission, despite prior notices issued against hosting such activities near the strike venue. The unauthorized event held on December 13.

Six villagers from Shivkar, Plasape, Chindhran, Shirvali, and Turmale, under the banner of NAINA Prakalp Badhit Shetkari Utkarsh Samiti, had been on an indefinite hunger strike since December 6. The villagers called off their strike on December 15, 2023, after former union minister Anant Geete assured them that he would raise the issue with the state government. Geete commended the villagers for standing up against injustice and pledged that the NAINA scheme would be withdrawn. According to the police, Rajesh Keni, a resident of Sukhapur in Panvel, had requested permission from the police to hold a wrestling match on December 13 near the hunger strike venue. However, the police denied permission on December 12. The Navi Mumbai police had already issued a notice on December 7, 2023, prohibiting protests, assemblies of five or more persons, and similar activities until midnight on December 21.Despite these restrictions, the police received information that the wrestling match took place on December 13 at 3 pm, violating sections 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. The FIR was filed against Keni, who had sought permission, and approximately 130 individuals present at the e