Photo Credit: Indiatimes, Representative Image

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, two farmers were beaten up on Friday when police conducted lathi charge for lifting water from a canal in Ahmednagar district.

The incident took place after a peasant was allegedly beaten up by security guards at Mantralaya – the Maharashtra government headquarters – on Thursday.

The irrigation department officials had complained to police that farmers were illegally lifting water from Mula dam in Ahmednagar district, police sources said.

"The incident happened at Patharwala village under jurisdiction of Nevase Police Station yesterday. Two farmers sustained serious injuries in the lathi charge," sources said.

Farmers of the area used to lift water from a canal passing by the village. Irrigation department staff objected to it as farmers allegedly broke wirings and gates of the canal, they added.

The staff called police yesterday after noticing that some farmers were lifting water from the canal. There was a heated argument between police and farmers after which police used lathi charge to disperse them.

"Two farmers were in an inebriated state and started quarrelling with police which led to an altercation," sources said, adding a case has been filed against them for cutting the wiring, breaking gates and stealing water from canal.

The incident came a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level probe after a farmer was allegedly beaten up by security guards at Mantralaya on Thursday.

Rameshwar Bhusare, 32, a farmer from a village in Kannad taluka in Aurangabad, had alleged that he was thrashed by the security on duty in Mantralaya.

The Opposition leaders alleged that the police tried to suppress the case and wrongly implicate the farmer.