5 farmers injured as cops lathi charge to disburse protesters blocking Samruddhi Hwy

The protest caused massive disruption, halting vehicular traffic on the high-speed expressway for over an hour

NAGPUR: At least five farmers sustained minor injuries on Friday when police used mild lathi charge to disperse an unruly crowd of protesters who had gathered on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, near Vanoja village in Washim district.

5 farmers injured as cops lathi charge to disburse protesters blocking Samruddhi Hwy

The protest caused massive disruption, halting vehicular traffic on the high-speed expressway for over an hour.

Thousands of farmers and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, led by Balapur MLA Nitin Deshmukh, marched onto the expressway for a “rasta roko” agitation.

The demonstrators were pressing for several urgent demands, including a comprehensive relief package of ₹1 lakh per hectare for drought-affected and heavy rain-hit farmers, full compensation for widespread crop losses, and the immediate settlement of pending crop insurance claims.

The farming community rejected the state government’s recent announcement of an advance festival relief of ₹5,000 per farmer ahead of Diwali, calling it entirely inadequate, even though chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said that the amount served as an immediate relief for the farmers, until the Centre dispatches larger assistance.

Given the strategic importance of the Expressway as a high-speed corridor, blocking the roadway posed severe safety risks and potential traffic hazards for commuters. Anticipating law and order issues, the local administration and district police had denied permission for the protest and served formal notices to the organizers.

Authorities deployed a massive security contingent, with over 1,500 police officers and personnel drawn from across the division stationed at the site, to manage the situation. The route was also heavily barricaded.

However, despite the heavy police deployment and official warnings, determined protesters and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers broke through barriers and marched toward the high-speed carriageway. This triggered heated verbal altercations and intense jostling between the security forces and the demonstrators. As the situation threatened to spiral out of control and block vital traffic lanes, police resorted to a brief, mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order. The police also detained several agitators alongside Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader and MLA Nitin Deshmukh.

The Washim superintendent of police Nikesh Khatmode-Patil confirmed that the overall law and order situation in the region was under control, and noted that MLA Deshmukh and around 70 of his supporters were taken into custody and subsequently released.

Traffic along the expressway came back to normal shortly after the area was cleared.