We are not part of oil mafia, say villagers

Objecting to the police’s claim that they had thrashed them when they raided a kerosene mafia man’s house, the villagers of Rajurwadi have charged the police with “levelling false allegations” and said their excesses need to be investigated.

The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), a left-wing organisation, has said that Pannalal Rajput, whose home was raided and who is still missing after Tuesday’s incident, was a social worker.

“Portraying the villagers as part of the kerosene mafia is false,” SUCI Vidarbha secretary Madhav Bhonde said, demanding an inquiry by higher police and revenue officials.

The Umrer police had on Tuesday alleged that the kerosene mafia had attacked them during a raid on the headman of Rajurwadi, 25km from Nagpur. With the villagers coming out in the open against the police, home minister RR Patil has reportedly initiated an inquiry into the matter.

Reports now confirm that the kerosene recovered from Rajput’s house was actually meant for ration-card holders of his own village and was not illegal.