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The Core Dispute
The matter involves Ramnarayan Kumrawat, a resident of Barud village. Since 2019, he has been fighting a legal battle over a blocked access path to his field. Although the 1981 registry records the path, it was blocked by neighbors in 2019. Ramnarayan won cases in the Tehsil court, the SDM court, and eventually the High Court. However, the Khandwa district administration failed to implement the High Court’s order to clear the path, leaving his land barren for three years and causing significant financial loss.
The Incident
at 'Jan Sunwai' On Tuesday, May 6, Ramnarayan and his son, Shyam Kumrawat, attended the public hearing (Jan Sunwai) hoping for an immediate order from Collector Rishav Gupta (IAS). When he received yet another verbal assurance instead of action, his patience broke. He shouted at the officials, “You are all corrupt (bikaau); if the problem isn’t solved, I will die”.
Arrest and Detention
The Collector, offended by the outburst, ordered security to remove the father and son. When the Collector learned that the farmer was speaking to journalists outside, SDM Bajrang Bahadur was dispatched to intervene. On the SDM's instructions, the police took the duo into custody, charged them with "breach of peace," and sent them to jail by 2:00 PM.
Political Intervention and Bail
The arrest sparked a protest by Congress party members at the Collector’s office. Initially, SDM Bajrang Bahadur refused to grant bail, claiming the jail doors were already closed for the day. The situation escalated until State Congress President Jitu Patwari intervened and spoke directly with the Collector. Following this, the SDM returned to the office at 8:35 PM and granted bail to the farmer and his son.
Conflicting Statements
The Official Stance: SDM Bajrang Bahadur justified the action, claiming the farmers were creating a ruckus and were on the verge of physically assaulting officials. He stated that strictness is necessary to maintain the integrity of public hearings.
The Farmer’s Plea: Ramnarayan maintained that his anger was born of pure desperation. He highlighted that despite his legal victories, local authorities' refusal to act has ruined his livelihood.
Administrative Criticism
The incident has raised concerns about a "dictatorial attitude" among local administrative officers. Critics argue that while the farmer may have breached decorum, his outburst was a result of a life-and-death crisis, and that security removal would have sufficed rather than imprisonment.
