Tensions flared in Chikle village, Navi Mumbai, when 16 villagers were charged for wrongfully restraining two government officers following a suicide attempt by the local sarpanch, Deepali Tandel, and her family. The incident, which unfolded on July 28, 2025, has highlighted underlying grievances over administrative inaction in a land dispute, escalating into a public confrontation.

On July 26, Deepali Tandel, sarpanch of the Chikle group gram panchayat, submitted a letter to local authorities, expressing frustration over unresolved land-related issues. She warned that she and her family would lock themselves in their home and consume poison if no action was taken. Alarmed by the threat, the gram panchayat’s rural development officer and the block development officer visited Tandel’s residence on Tuesday. Finding the house locked, they suspected a suicide attempt, broke open the door, and rescued Tandel and her family, who had allegedly consumed poison. The family was promptly rushed to a hospital for treatment.

As the officers were returning, a group of villagers, reportedly led by individuals including Baby Jagan Mhatre and Gauri Patil, formed an unlawful assembly near the Zilla Parishad School. They waylaid the officers’ jeep, squatted in front of it, and restrained them for nearly an hour, demanding action on Tandel’s grievances. Police intervention eventually dispersed the crowd.

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Following a complaint by the rural development officer, the Panvel Taluka police registered a case against 16 villagers under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and 3(5) (common intention). No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. This incident underscores the challenges of addressing local governance issues and the potential for protests to disrupt public order.

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