Social activist Medha Patkar, who was demanding better rehabilitation of villagers displaced by the Sardar Sarovar dam project, was detained on Wednesday, hours after being discharged from a private hospital in Indore.
According to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), Patkar was on her way to Barwani from Indore with nine others when police stopped them midway and took them into custody over charges of violence that happened during the eviction of Patkar from the protest site in Dhar on Monday where she had been on a hunger strike since July 27.
“We have arrested her as she insisted on going back to meet the oustees. We have told her that it is not possible to allow her to go to Dhar as section 144, CrPc has been imposed in the area,” Ajay Sharma, Additional Director General of Police (Addl DG), Indore range, said.
The police stopped Patkar and informed her that she could not proceed to Dhar, but as she refused to relent, she was placed under arrest at the border of Indore and Dhar districts, and subsequently, taken to Dhar, he added.
“We will ask her to furnish a bond stating that section 144 will not be violated. If she furnishes it, we will release her,” he said.
Subsequently, Patkar was produced before a sub-divisional judicial magistrate at Dhar who sent her to jail.
Notably, Medha Patkar (62) and 11 others were forcibly removed from Chikhalda in Dhar on August 7, where they were staging an indefinite fast demanding a proper rehabilitation of the oustees, and were admitted in different hospitals.
Earlier in the day, Patkar was discharged from a private hospital in Indore after her condition improved.
After she was discharged from the Bombay Hospital, Patkar said her indefinite fast would continue. Patkar and the other activists have been fasting for 14 days.
"Medicines were administered through drips to the fasting agitators in various hospitals but none of us has eaten food so far. We demand the oustees be allowed to stay in their original dwellings till proper arrangements are made for their rehabilitation," Patkar, who came out of the hospital on a wheelchair, told reporters.
She claimed that the process of rehabilitation of the displaced people in the Narmada valley was yet to be completed.
"At many places, even drinking water is not available. But the state government is insisting the people to go to these places. This situation is not acceptable to the oustees and therefore, they continue to stay put at their original dwellings," she added.
Patkar said a special leave petition (SlP) came up before the Supreme Court yesterday, but it was dismissed as a related case was pending before the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
"The hearing in the case is scheduled tomorrow in the high court. On behalf of the dam oustees, we appeal to the judiciary to deliver justice in the matter," she added.