Prohibitory orders imposed in Beed over protests related to sarpanch murder, quota

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Maharashtra's Beed district till January 28 in view of protests against the murder of a sarpanch and quota-related agitations by Maratha and OBC activists.

The assembly of five or more persons without permission from authorities has been prohibited and people are not allowed to carry weapons in public places, the district administration said in a release issued on Monday.

Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9. Preliminary investigation suggests he had tried to thwart an extortion bid on an energy firm operating a windmill project in the region.

The Kej police have so far arrested seven persons in the murder case, while another accused is on the run. The police have also arrested state minister Dhananjay Deshmukh's associate Walmik Karad in a related extortion case.

Leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties have staged protests in Beed, demanding justice.

In neighbouring Jalna, activist Manoj Jarange has announced that he would launch an indefinite fast on January 25 to press for the Maratha community’s demands, including reservation in jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

On the other side, the OBC activists have been staging agitations to ensure their quota is not disturbed.

As per the Beed district administration's release, the ongoing protests in connection with the cases registered at the Kej police station and the quota-related agitations by the Maratha and OBC communities could lead to a law and order issue.

Therefore, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under section 37 (1) (3) of the Maharashtra Police Act, it said.