Mumbai : Twenty Katkari tribal families from Mhatroli village in Alibaug taluka of Raigad district were allegedly forcibly evicted after their homes were demolished in March 2024, the Sarvahara Jan Andolan has alleged. The organisation, at a news conference, has demanded registration of offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, his wife Sarojini Narwekar and others allegedly involved in the incident.
A 15-acre plot was purchased in Feb 2024 in the name of Sarojini Narwekar for Rs 14 crore, according to the organisation. On March 24, 2024, local representative Dashrath Patil and others allegedly arrived at the settlement and demolished the houses using excavators without prior notice. “Under the Maharashtra govt’s Jan 4, 2017, resolution, these families have ownership rights over the land beneath their houses. Two families have house tax receipts dating back 15 to 20 years,” said Ulka Mahajan of Sarvahara Jan Andolan. A petition filed before State Human Rights Commission in 2025 was subsequently dismissed ex parte, it said.
However, the new site lacks basic facilities such as drinking water, electricity and roads, the organisation said. Household belongings, a borewell and structures built under govt housing schemes were allegedly buried under the debris. The families, who had been living in the settlement for generations, were subsequently shifted to alternative accommodation two to three kilometres away. This is also reflected in the Alibaug tehsildar’s survey records. The organisation further alleged that police and revenue officials coerced the families into signing statements relinquishing their claims and stating that they had received compensation. The statements were allegedly not read out to the residents before their thumb impressions were obtained.