In the Madhya Pradesh district of Barwani, social activist Medha Patkar and 12 other people were arrested on Sunday in connection with a fraud case.
According to the FIR, Patkar and other trustees deceived donors into giving money to their trust in order to benefit the residents of the Narmada valley in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Additionally, according to the complainant’s FIR, the funds amassed by her and other trustees were utilised for political and “anti-national agenda,” according to ANI.
The FIR was filed a few days after Patkar encountered fierce opposition at Dhinkia village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, where a protest over a JSW steel project had broken out. Locals had told Patkar to leave as she attempted to travel to the home of a jailed protester, according to PTI.
Patkar and those with her were forced to leave the protest location on Monday because locals prevented her from entering Dhinkia, which is also the hub of the anti-displacement movement against South Korean steel giant POSCO.
In January, after conflicts between the police and the protesters, Debendra Swain, an activist who had led rallies against the JSW steel project due to worries over relocation, was taken into custody.
Speaking to reporters, Patkar stated that she wanted to meet Swain’s family, but some locals asserted that the activists were there to get their input on the JSW project.
According to Ms. Patkar, there is currently a national discussion about nationalism and treason/sedition, and this case may have political overtones or be the result of a defamation plot.
“Those who question the system and do the right thing are referred to as anti-nationals. The public will make the decision, she said.
