Kanpur: A day after a mother-daughter duo died allegedly due to self-immolation during an anti-encroachment drive in Kanpur Dehat, police on Tuesday booked 39 people including a sub-divisional magistrate, four revenue officials and over a dozen cops on murder and other charges.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Maitha) Gyaneshwar Prasad has also been placed under suspension, said Inspector General of Police (Kanpur Range) Prashant Kumar.
Lekhpal Ashok Singh and bulldozer driver Deepak have been arrested so far, Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) BBGTS Murthy said.
The FIR has been registered on charges of murder, attempt to murder apart from mischief by killing or maiming cattle, mischief by fire with intent to destroy house, etc and intentional insult, Kumar told PTI over the phone.
He added that the bulldozer which was used in the demolition of the victims’ house has been seized.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak spoke to the bereaved family members, who were refusing to hand over the bodies for post-mortem, and assured them that their demands will be looked into. The bodies were later handed over for autopsy.
Heavy police deployment has been made in and around the village as tension prevailed after the deaths.
The family and the villagers were earlier demanding that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should speak to them. They also sought ex-gratia of Rs 5 crore and a government job to at least two members of the bereaved family, according to the IGP Kumar.
While talking to the victim’s sons Shivam and Ansh, Deputy CM Pathak said, “This is a very tragic and saddening incident… An FIR has been registered on murder charges against the accused. Strict action will be initiated and the guilty will be punished. Their generations will remember it.”
“You are all like my family members. I and the entire government are with you.” Pathak said adding that their demands will be looked into.
IG Kumar said stern action will be taken against the erring cops including station house officer (Rural) Dinesh Gautam who is likely to be placed under suspension very soon.
Besides Gautam, the SDM of Maitha, JCB driver Deepak, lekhpal (revenue officer) of Madauli Ashok Singh, three unnamed lekhpals, an unnamed kanungo (revenue official), and 12-15 police personnel have been booked.
A case of murder and attempt to murder has also been lodged against more than a dozen unnamed people, said sources.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the ruling BJP over the incident. In a tweet in Hindi, he said, “When the arrogance of power takes away the people’s right to live, it is called dictatorship.”
“This ‘bulldozer policy’ has become the face of the cruelty of this government. India does not accept this,” the former Congress chief said.
The opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) blamed the “insensitive” administration for the “murders” and hit out at the government for stopping a Samajwadi Party delegation from going to the village to express condolences to the victims’ family.
Due to tension prevailing in the village, they were stopped, a senior officer said.
The 11-member delegation included MLAs Manoj Pandey, Amitabh Bajpai, Vinod Chaturvedi, Pradeep Yadav and Mohd Hasan alias Rumi.
The video of the deputy chief minister speaking to the bereaved family was tweeted by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who alleged that the words of sympathy were only for a show.
“The BJP has cut off the part where the victims were putting forth their demands. This is the worst form of the BJP’s insensitivity,” Yadav said in a tweet in which victims’ family members were seen asking the Deputy CM for immediate arrest of SDM and others.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the victims’ family should get justice and strict action should be taken against the culprits.
“…the heart-rending incident of Kanpur is condemnable. We all have to raise our voice against this inhumane action. The victims’ family should get justice and strict action should be taken against the culprits,” Vadra said in a tweet in Hindi.
Pramila Dixit (45) and her daughter Neha (20) allegedly set themselves afire in a hut in the presence of police, district administration and revenue officials, who had gone to Madauli village in the Rura area of the district to remove encroachments from a “gram samaj” land, a police official said.
Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) BBGTS Murthy told reporters that Vishal Dixit had filed a complaint against Shivam Dixit, son of Pramila Dixit, alleging encroachment of ‘gram samaj’ land following which district administration team headed by SDM Gyaneshwar Prasad had gone there to remove the encroachment.
The encroachment was being removed by a bulldozer when the mother-daughter died after they immolated themselves, the SP added.
Additional Director General of Police (Kanpur zone) Alok Singh, along with Divisional Commissioner Raj Shekhar, also visited the village.
