The Thane police has booked three Congress leaders from Bhiwandi including the deputy mayor for alleged charges of grabbing land belonging to tribals and carrying out construction on the tribal land.
The trio have been booked under Section 447 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities Act), 1989, Sections 3(4) and (5) the Shanti Nagar police said today.
The police gave the name of the alleged accused against whom the offence has been registered as Deputy Mayor of the Corporation Nuruddin Nizamuddin Ansari, his father Nizamuddin Ansari, a prominent Congress leader from the powerloom town of Bhiwandi and his brother Suzamuddin Ansari the police said.
The police said that the trio grabbed the land in Awchitapada in Nizampura belonging to 16 tribals admeasuring 5 acres by giving threats and taking undue advantage of their innocence.
The accused constructed the sheds after clearing the land of the trees and bushes and violated the regulations that nobody can buy tribal land.
It was based on a complaint by affected tribals including Suresh Maruti Gungune and Bayabai Ramu Gungune, to several authorities including the Konkan Divisional Commissioner that an enquiry was ordered and the trio were booked by the police.