Archive · 5 Nov 2025
Court Acquits 9 for Confining Officer During Protest for Clean Water
Imagine some people didn't have clean water to drink for a long time, even though the government promised to fix it.
They went to the office of the person in charge of the water project and locked them inside to get their attention.
The court looked at what happened and said that these people were just trying to get a basic need met, like clean water.
They weren't trying to cause serious trouble or be criminals, but were protesting peacefully.
The court also noted that there wasn't enough proof to show exactly who locked the door or that it was done with bad intentions.
So, the judge decided they shouldn't be punished and let them go free, saying it was more like a peaceful way to complain about a big problem.
A Raigad court acquitted nine individuals accused of confining a Jal Jeevan Mission officer during a protest for clean water.
The court ruled that the protest was a genuine civic agitation for basic necessity and lacked criminal intent.
The accused had locked government officials inside an office in Pen village on February 6, 2024, protesting water scarcity.
The court found insufficient evidence to prove unlawful assembly or the specific use of locks, deeming the act a 'passive sit-in or demonstration'.
Witnesses confirmed long-standing water scarcity in the region, with water provided being unfit for drinking and leading to diseases.
- Who
- Nine individuals (eight men and one woman)
- What
- Acquitted by a court for confining a government official and protesting for clean drinking water.
- When
- The incident occurred on February 6, 2024, and the acquittal was on October 31.
- Where
- Pen village, Raigad district, Maharashtra, at the office of the branch engineer for the Jal Jeevan Mission Project.
- Why
- The individuals were protesting due to a long-standing water scarcity issue and the government's failure to provide safe drinking water, despite a written assurance to complete water infrastructure.
Accused
Prosecution
Nature of Protest
Accused
The protest was a genuine civic agitation for a basic human necessity (clean water), peaceful, non-violent, and aimed at demanding the performance of a public promise. It was a passive demonstration, not an unlawful assembly or criminal conspiracy.
Prosecution
The accused engaged in rioting, unlawful assembly, and used criminal force against public servants by confining an officer and other officials, violating prohibitory orders and obstructing public servants.
Intent
Accused
There was no intent to obstruct public servants or commit any offense; the sole intention was to press for the legitimate demand of clean drinking water due to long-standing scarcity and unfit water supply.
Prosecution
The actions constituted an obstruction of public servants and a violation of the law, implying an intent to disrupt public duty and commit an offense.
Evidence of Locking
Accused
There was no concrete evidence to prove who locked the door or that the seized common locks were specifically used in the alleged offense. There was also no proof of who had the keys.
Prosecution
The accused locked the office from the outside, confining officials inside, which is presented as evidence of their unlawful actions.
- Court
- Raigad Court, Maharashtra
- Date of Acquittal
- October 31
- Date of Incident
- February 6, 2024
- Location of Incident
- Office of the branch engineer, Maharashtra Life Authority, Pen village, Raigad
- Project Involved
- Jal Jeevan Mission Project
- Affected Villages/Hamlets
- 38 villages and 108 hamlets of Kharepati division
- Charges Faced
- Rioting, unlawful assembly, use of criminal force against a public servant, and other sections of the Indian Penal Code and Bombay Police Act