Probe after farmer held for power theft dies in lock-up

District administration suspends two tehsil employees

LUCKNOW:A day after 40-year-old Brijpal Shakya, held in the tehsil lockup for electricity theft, died under mysterious circumstances in Jarifnagar area of Badaun, the district administration on Saturday set up a magisterial inquiry into the incident and suspended two tehsil employees. The local tehsildar and nayab tehsildar have been asked to submit a report on the matter.

Meanwhile the opposition parties have opened a front against the state government for the incident. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted on Sunday, “The UP BJP government has hiked electricity prices and farmers are being tortured by putting them in jail.”

LUCKNOW: A day after 40-year-old Brijpal Shakya, held in the tehsil lockup for electricity theft, died under mysterious circumstances in Jarifnagar area of Badaun, the district administration on Saturday set up a magisterial in quiry into the incident and suspended two tehsil employees. The local tehsildar and nayab te hsildar have also been called to district headquarters and asked to submit a written report.

Reportedly, the deceased, Brijpal Shakya, a native of Jarifnagar area under Sahaswan tehsil, was arrested by local tehsildar Dhirendra Kumar on September 23 to recover fine for electricity theft. Shakya, a farmer who also sold some Ayurvedic products, was fined ₹ 81,947 for stealing electricity and the money was to be recovered by the revenue officials of the tehsil.

Since September 23, Shakya was kept in the lock-up on the tehsil premises. On October 1, he fell ill. The staff failed to find the keys of the lock-up and broke the door

to take him to the nearby primary health centre. There the doctors referred him to the district hospital but Shakya died on the way. The doctors at the district hospital declared him ‘brought dead’. The post mortem examination was inconclusive so the doctors have preserved his viscera for further investigation.

Badaun DM Dinesh Kumar Singh said, “The incident is a serious glitch on the part of the revenue official. We have suspended

record keeper Ram Nivas and another employee at the tehsil. The magisterial inquiry has been started and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.” The inquiry has been entrusted to tehsildar of Badaun Sadar Paras Nath Maurya.

Shakya’s family has accused the Sahasawan tehsildar and four other officials for the death and demanded action. The local police have not filed any FIR on the complaint so far.