Latest news with #BanaskanthaPolice
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
Forced into exile after murder case, 300 people of a clan return to their village in Gujarat's Banaskantha
It all started with a casual conversation between Alka, a cook, and her employer ASP Suman Nala last month. Nala, posted in the Danta division of Gujarat's Banaskantha district, asked Alka about her family and how often she visited her sasural (marital home). What Alka stoically told her next left the IPS officer shocked: Alka, along with scores of members of her extended Kodarvi clan, had to leave their village overnight after one of their distant relatives was accused of murder. The year was 2014 and the exodus from Mota Pipodara village in Danta taluka was part of the tradition of 'Chadotaru' – a tribal custom of justice wherein, in the case of murder, either a certain amount (or blood money, as Nala puts it), is paid to the kin of the deceased or the entire family of the offender goes into exile. Nala learned that the Kodarvis, land owners in their native village, have been compelled to work as either farm labourers in other villages or as diamond polishers in Surat following their exile. Alka's own husband works in Surat in one such unit. On Thursday, it was a homecoming for 300 people from these 29 Kodarvi families who were welcomed back to their village, 11 years after they left it, through the efforts of Banaskantha Police. Gujarat's Minister of State, Home, Harsh Sanghavi was also present at the function held in the village to celebrate the rehabilitation of the families. This was not the first time the families had attempted to return to their village. A few days before Alka's conversation with IPS Nala, the elders of the Kodarvi clan had submitted an application with the police seeking help in their rehabilitation to Mota Pipodara. As Alka shared all this information with ASP Nala, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshayraj Makwana was alerted and soon, the police got involved in the matter. JR Desai, sub-inspector at Hadad police station, gathered details of the displaced families, contacted them, and initiated meetings with the village panchayat and elders of both communities to ensure peace and reconciliation. Over the next 20 days or so, police personnel engaged with all the parties involved, Desai said. Amid all this, an interesting nugget of information reached the police. The man from the Kodarvi clan, who had been accused of murdering a man from another clan during a party in 2014, had been acquitted by the trial court in 2017. What's more, he was able to go back to his village and restart from where he left while the rest of the members of his clan were living in extreme poverty, said SI Desai. After several rounds of negotiations, during which the community leaders were assured of being credited with a positive exercise while also being warned against disregarding the law, the Kodarvi community members could return to their village. These families possessed approximately 8.5 hectares of farmland in the village. In coordination with the District Inspector of Land Records, Banaskantha Police identified and measured this land. 'The once barren and overgrown land was levelled and made suitable for farming by the police,' said SP Makwana. As part of the resettlement efforts, two houses have already been constructed, and with support from the district administration, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and various social organisations, the remaining 27 families will soon be provided with housing and other essential amenities. The police have raised Rs 70 lakh for the rehabilitation of the Kodarvis with Rs 30 lakh coming from donations and NGOs, and Rs 40 lakh in the form of government grants. Officials said that many families have already returned to the village and had built temporary shelters while construction and renovation of their homes is underway. Other families are expected to join them soon. Since the village is situated in a remote area accessed only by foot, funds have also been sanctioned for the construction of a road, an officer said.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Banaskantha: 12 years exile for 29 tribal families ends, rehabilitated in native village
Banaskantha: Twelve years ago, around 300 members of 29 Kodarvi families were forced to live in exile, forced out of their homeland in Mota Pipodra village of Danta taluka in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, because of a tribal custom of 'Chadotaru' - a tradition rooted in vengeance. That suffering came to an end today, with Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi leading the drive in rehabilitating these tribal families in their native village. During this historic occasion, a prayer ceremony and seed sowing were also conducted on the land, symbolising a new beginning. The Minister will also interact with the families to discuss their rehabilitation plans and distribute educational materials and ration kits. Years ago, these tribal families had to migrate from their ancestral land to regions like Palanpur and Surat with a heavy heart. July 17 marked a memorable moment for the dignified return and resettlement of these families in their ancestral village. Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi, speaking to IANS on the occasion, said, "Today, in Mota Pipodara village of Danta taluka, 29 families with 300 people who had to leave the village 14 years ago due to old social customs, were respectfully rehabilitated.' He also thanked Banaskantha police for prioritising social policing and empathy over strict legalities, making this a historic and emotional day for the region. The Banaskantha Police, in coordination with the District Inspector of Land Records, surveyed approximately 8.5 hectares of land belonging to these families, cleared the overgrown and barren land, and made it cultivable again. The 'Chadotaru' custom, which prompted the migration, had deeply affected the Kodarvi community. Banaskantha Police gathered details of the displaced families, contacted them, and initiated meetings with the village panchayat and elders of both communities to ensure peace and reconciliation. As part of the resettlement efforts, two houses have already been constructed, and with support from the district administration, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and various social organisations, the remaining 27 families will soon be provided with housing and other essential amenities.
Al Bawaba
01-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Deadly firecracker factory blast in India kills 22, injures several
Published April 1st, 2025 - 06:28 GMT The blast occurred at a facility owned by Deepak Traders in the Deesa GIDC industrial area, which was reportedly operating without approval from the Banaskantha Police or the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). ALBAWABA- A massive explosion at a firecracker warehouse in Deesa, Gujarat's Banaskantha district, has killed at least 22 people and injured five others. The blast occurred at a facility owned by Deepak Traders in the Deesa GIDC industrial area, which was reportedly operating without approval from the Banaskantha Police or the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). The explosion triggered a fire, leading to the collapse of the factory-cum-warehouse's roof. Authorities have recovered body parts from the debris as rescue operations continue. The injured are receiving treatment at government hospitals in Deesa and Palanpur. Also Read Over 100 injured in a massive gas pipeline blast in Malaysia Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh, approximately ($ 2400) for the families of the deceased. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has also pledged compensation for the victims. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
