Three cases have been filed in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur against a group of people after a protest they were carrying out against the Ken-Betwa river linking project and the arrest of a local activist turned violent, officers said on Wednesday (February 11, 2026).
According to the police, locals from various villages under the Bijawar tehsil were on Tuesday evening (February 10, 2026) protesting for various demands, including the release of Amit Bhatnagar, who is also a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and better compensation and rehabilitation for those affected by the ambitious project. The demonstration, however, turned violent late in the night, leading to stone pelting by protestors and blockading of the tehsil premises, which resulted in sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Vijay Dwivedi and various officials getting stuck inside.
Explained | What ails the Ken-Betwa river link project?
The protestors included tribals, women and workers of Opposition parties such as the Congress, AAP and the Samajwadi Party.
Chhatarpur Superintendent of Police Agam Jain told The Hindu that while the protests were going on peacefully in the evening, a group of drunk men tried to create a nuisance in the night, which led to a tense situation for some time.
