Jarange Ends 20-Day Fast, Then 3-Year-Old ₹4.90 Crore Penalty Returns Against Key Aide

A three-year-old sand-mining case involving Sanjay Nanasaheb Katare, a key member of Manoj Jarange’s Maratha reservation movement, has resurfaced with Maharashtra authorities restoring a ₹4.90 crore penalty against him, just four days after the activist ended his 20-day hunger strike.

The timing has drawn attention as the action came soon after Jarange called off his protest and warned the Maharashtra government that he could take the agitation to Mumbai if his demands were not addressed within three months.

The case dates back to April 2023, when authorities initiated penalty proceedings against 18 people over the alleged illegal extraction and transportation of around 2,000 brass of sand from the Godavari riverbed at Sashtapimpalgaon and Domalgaon in Jalna’s Ambad tehsil. Katare was among those named and was facing a penalty of ₹4.90 crore.

Katare later objected to his inclusion in the proceedings. The then tehsildar subsequently issued a revised order removing his name from the penalty action, effectively giving him relief from the ₹4.90 crore liability.

The decision was later challenged by a local resident before the state revenue minister. Following directions from the Jalna district administration, an inquiry was conducted and raised questions over the role of the then tehsildar and officials of the minor minerals branch.

On September 21, Ambad Sub-Divisional Officer Umakant Pardhi cancelled the earlier order that had removed Katare from the proceedings and restored the penalty. The amount was ordered to be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

The SDO also directed that a proposal for disciplinary action against the former tehsildar and concerned employees be submitted to the Jalna collector.

Katare is considered one of the important organisers of Jarange’s movement, making the development politically sensitive. His name has figured prominently in the organisational network behind Jarange’s rallies and mobilisation across Maharashtra.

Jarange ended his 20-day fast on September 17 after pressing the government over Maratha reservation and demanded recognition of eligible Marathas under the OBC category through Kunbi genealogical records.

With the old penalty revived only four days after the protest ended, the sequence has added another layer to the growing scrutiny around Jarange’s close associates and their activities.