The house of an activist fighting against the Lavasa project, Leelabai Margale, was destroyed in a blast on Monday night. Margale and her two daughters escaped unhurt in the incident.
Assistant police inspector of Paud police station, Manohar Ranmale, told DNA that the police have filed a case of accidental fire and investigation is on. “Prima facie, it seems there was no sabotage. A criminal case will be filed only if it is proved so during
investigation,” he said.
The incident took place in Mugaon village near Dasave valley, which is being developed by Lavasa Corporation as a lake city. Lavasa has proposed to develop township in Mugaon also.
In her complaint, Margale said she was asleep along with her daughters Uma, 14, and Kajal, 7, when around 8.30pm there was a blast on the roof of her house. She rushed out of the house as it caught fire.
There was another blast after 15 minutes, which could have been the cooking gas cylinder.
Local villagers doused the fire, but till then everything inside the house, including foodgrain, land documents and ornaments were destroyed. Margale alleged that it was an attempt to kill her.
The National Alliance of People’s Movements, in a press statement, said that Margale is at the forefront of the Lavasa agitation. “There should be a thorough enquiry into the blast and the guilty should be punished,” it said.
