Tribal woman beaten unconscious by CHO in Khandwa:Land dispute turns violent; hair pulled, dragged into field

A Community Health Officer (CHO), Manisha Wasule, allegedly assaulted a tribal woman, Pinki Bai, leaving her unconscious in Takli Kala village, under the Pandhana police station area in Khandwa district. A video of the assault has surfaced online, showing the brutality of the assault. The footage has sparked outrage and raised questions about the conduct of government officials. Land dispute turns violent The incident occurred on Thursday in Takli Kala village, Pandhana police station area. Both parties were present in the field—Thakur Rustam, Pinki Bai, and Kunwar Singh were overseeing crops, while CHO Manisha Wasule arrived with several people. According to reports, both sides claimed ownership of the land. CHO Manisha stated, “This is our land. I purchased it,” while Pinki Bai countered, “We have cultivated it and will not leave. We paid Rs 8 lakh for it.” The argument escalated into a violent fight, with both sides reportedly pulling each other’s hair and physically assaulting one another. Eyewitnesses stated that CHO first pushed Pinki Bai to the ground, further intensifying the clash. CHO’s associates allegedly damaged standing crops and attempted to spray chemicals on them. The core issue remains the ownership of the land. See these pictures related to the assault Victim alleges police assault Pinki Bai later claimed that after the fight, CHO called Dial 100 (emergency police), and she was taken to the police station. At the station, female police officer Manisha Goyal reportedly attempted to strangle her in the guard room. Background: Contested land and Financial dispute According to Thakur Rustam’s family, in 2001, Putia (son of Nazariya) bought five acres of land in Dhanora village for Rs 61,000. The registry was never completed. In 2019, Putia demanded Rs 8 lakh for the land, which the family paid. Rustam alleged that CHO Manisha Wasule initially posed as a bank manager and took Rs 2.5 lakh under the pretext of clearing a loan on the property. Later, she reportedly got the land registered in her name. The family accused two lawyers, Sanjay Mandloi (Pandhana) and Chhaya Sharma (Khandwa), of taking fees totalling Rs 1.8 lakh but failing to complete the transfer, manipulating the case in court. Administrative complaints, no resolution The family previously approached the SP and Collector’s offices, but no permanent resolution was reached. The ongoing inaction has caused significant stress to the family. CHO Manisha Wasule defended her actions, stating she purchased the land legally and the court had ruled in her favour. She denied ever taking money by pretending to be a bank manager and called the allegations against her, the police, and lawyers “false and fabricated.” Cross-complaints filed Ram Prakash Yadav, in-charge of Bargaoan police station, confirmed that both sides have filed cross-complaints. He stated that the dispute has been ongoing for a long time, and the altercation at the police station required intervention due to the disturbance caused.