A farmer climbed a power transmission tower at Talegaon Dhamdhere in Shirur taluka on November 2 to protest what he said was pending compensation for farmland being used for a transmission line project, prompting police to call the fire brigade and leading to a police complaint against three people.
The incident took place in the Malwadi area near the Talegaon Dhamdhere–Nhavra stretch of the national highway, where W R S R Power Transmission Limited was carrying out tower-line construction on agricultural land in Gat No. 1207. The work was being conducted under police protection, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The report identified the three people named in the police complaint as Vikas Vitthal Bhujbal, Prakash Vitthal Bhujbal and Sitabai Vitthal Bhujbal, residents of Talegaon Dhamdhere. It said the three reached the site while construction was under way and objected to the work.
Prakash Bhujbal climbed the tower and told company workers and officials that he had not received compensation for his land. He also questioned the authority under which the work was being carried out, according to the report. Vikas Bhujbal and Sitabai Bhujbal allegedly stood below the tower and asked the workers and officials to stop work and leave the site.
The disruption halted the ongoing tower-line work. The report said Assistant Police Inspector Hanumant Giri and other police personnel were present at the site. Police later called the fire brigade after Prakash Bhujbal refused to come down. He eventually descended from the tower after remaining there for a considerable period.
Police constable Pallavi Waghole-Darekar filed the complaint at Shikrapur police station against the three people for allegedly obstructing work on an approved transmission-line project. The report said Shikrapur police were conducting further investigation. The complaint represents the police account of the alleged obstruction; the supplied report does not include a response from W R S R Power Transmission Limited on the compensation dispute or the legal action.
Bhujbal told Sakal – Pune that one acre of his agricultural land was affected by the transmission line and that part of the work had already been completed. He alleged that although the company had said compensation would be paid, the payment had not been made.
The dispute highlights the immediate administrative tension that can arise when electricity transmission infrastructure crosses privately owned agricultural land. Construction may proceed under approvals and police protection, while affected landholders may continue to contest compensation or the terms of access. The supplied report does not specify the approved compensation amount, the legal basis of the payment, the date on which the land was taken for the project or whether any compensation has been deposited with an authority.
Rajendra Dhamdhere, president of the Shirur taluka farmers’ organisation, said affected farmers should receive appropriate compensation and called for cases filed against them to be withdrawn. He said the organisation would support farmers seeking relief. The report did not include a statement from the company or the relevant revenue and electricity authorities on the farmers’ claims.
The immediate next step is the investigation by Shikrapur police. The status of the transmission-line work and the resolution of the compensation claim were not specified in the supplied report.
