Alleging inadequate compensation to his land acquired for the Bembla Major Irrigation project in the district, a project affected person set a state transport bus on fire after making passengers alight, police said on Sunday.
Vinod Sukhdeo Bavne (35) also threatened self immolation if his demands were not met and bolted himself inside his house in Kolhi village after setting the bus afire on Saturday, they said.
Bavne withdrew his protest only after district officials intervened and promised to look into his grievance.
Police said Bavne was upset after he, along with his grandmother, was not allowed to meet Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan at the Sinchan Parishad held on November 8, on the issue.
Bavne had claimed that he was not at all compensated even though land of his grandmother was acquired for the upcoming project.
On Saturday, he (Bavne) was waiting at bus stop in Kolhi village when the state transport bus arrived from Babhulgaon.
Bavne then rushed to the bus and asked passengers to alight. He then poured kerosene inside the bus before anyone could react, and set the bus on fire.
“The seats and front portion of the bus were gutted in the blaze though no one was injured in the incident,” said Babhulgaon police station officer Pramod Dongre.
He said Bavne rushed to his home and locked himself inside threatening to commit suicide over the compensation issue.
Bavne was booked under various sections of IPC, along with sections 4 and 5 of the Public Property Damage Act and section 4/25 of the Arms Act on a complaint lodged by the driver of the bus. However, police are yet to make any arrest in the case.
The Bembla Major Irrigation Project had been included under PM’s package for Vidarbha region during 2007-08. The project is planned to be completed by 2014.
