Fight Erupts Between Farmers & Lodha Group Employee In Ayodhya Over Land Accusation

A violent confrontation broke out between local farmers and employees of the Abhinandan Lodha Group in Ayodhya, over a land dispute, with accusations of forced occupation fueling tensions. An employee of the Lodha Group, Manoj Kumar, who sustained serious head injuries during the altercation, is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Lucknow. 

The Ayodhya Kotwali Police have filed a case against eight farmers involved in the incident. Five of the accused, identified as Deepak Majhi, Ramesh Majhi, Rajesh Majhi, Vijay Majhi, and Ravi Majhi, have been arrested and sent to jail.

Ramrup Majhi, one of the farmers, expressed frustration with the police response, accusing the authorities of unfair treatment. “The police are treating us as if we are in Pakistan. The builder’s bouncers attacked our children, and instead of protecting us, the police filed cases against us,” he said.

According to Majhi, the Lodha Group employees were attempting to occupy more land than was agreed upon, leading to the confrontation.

On the other side, Manoj Kumar, a resident of Dharodi, Haryana, and an employee of Lodha Ventures, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the police. He claimed that while he and his colleagues were marking land purchased from farmer Ram Ashish Yadav by erecting pillars, they were attacked by a group of people led by Ramrup Majhi. Kumar alleged that he was struck on the head with a stick, suffering serious injuries, and was rescued by his fellow employees.

A spokesperson for Lodha Ventures, Manoj Shah, backed these claims, stating that the land in question had been legally acquired by the company. He alleged that a group of individuals armed with sticks attacked their employees while they were occupying the plot. “Our people have been seriously injured, and some have been hospitalized,” Shah said, adding that the company had filed an FIR and was cooperating with the police investigation.

The situation gained political attention after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video of the altercation on social media platform X. In his post, Yadav criticized the government, saying, “Farmers are being detained in Ayodhya while relief is given to billionaires. Is there a government in Uttar Pradesh or has it retired?”

History of Disputes: 

This is not the first time the Abhinandan Lodha Group has faced controversy in Ayodhya. Two months ago, former SP minister Tej Narayan Pandey accused the company of forcibly acquiring land from poor farmers. Pandey alleged that the company used bouncers to intimidate farmers and threatened them with legal action if they refused to sell their land.

In response to these allegations, Lodha Ventures released a statement defending their actions. Mahesh Shah, President of Corporate Communication at Lodha Ventures, clarified that the company had legally purchased 51 acres of land from farmers between 2021 and 2023, and expanded the acquisition to 75 acres by mid-2024. Shah denied any claims of coercion, asserting that all transactions were conducted with proper documentation and without government interference.