'Cases against Aarey protesters will be withdrawn'

The site of the carshed in Aarey Milk Colony. File pic

The cases filed against Aarey metro car shed protesters will be withdrawn within a month, Maharashtra Minister Satej Patil said on Thursday. Patil, the Minister of State for Home, made the remarks after meeting some of the protesters here. Thereis a due process to withdrawthe cases. I spoke to them (the protesters who met him on Thursday) on the issue. I assured them that the word we gave to them on behalf of the Maha Vikas Aghadi will be kept.

"The cases will be withdrawn in the coming one month, Patil told reporters outside the state legislature building in south Mumbai. The MumbaiPolice had filed cases against several protesters, including green activists, in October las year after they hit the streets to oppose felling of trees in the Aarey Colony, a green belt in suburban Goregaon, to make way for a car shed which is part of the metro-3 project. The Supreme Court ordered a stay on the deforestation activity in the days that followed, but over 2,000 trees had already been cut down by authorities by then. The Shiv Sena-led MVA government, which assumed office on November 28 last year, had in December announced withdrawal of the cases filed against metro car shed protesters.

These cases were filed when the BJP-led government was in power. Protesters were booked under IPC sections related to unlawful assembly and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duty, among others. Felling of trees had drawn sharp criticism from non- BJP parties, including the Shiv Sena which was a constituent of the saffron alliance government.

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