Power men strike work as FIRs registered against MLC, ExEn

PRAYAGRAJ : The Georgetown police registered an FIR against BJP MLC Surendra Chaudhary and around 20 of his unidentified aides in connection with the alleged assault on power department executive engineer of Tagore Town Manoj Agarwal on Friday.

Another case has been registered against Agarwal on the complaint of the MLC under different sections of the IPC, including SC/ST Act.

Power department officials and employees, under the Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, staged a protest against the assault on Agarwal and handed over a memorandum to chief engineer Vinod Gangwar on Saturday, with a warning that they would boycott work if no action was taken soon against the MLC.

The employees later decided to boycott work on Saturday evening itself and did not suspended their strike even after an FIR was lodged against the MLC, “because a case registered against the executive engineer.”

Samiti leader Vijay Tiwari said the employees have decided to boycott work as, instead of arresting the MLC, a case has been registered against the executive engineer. The strike will not be called off until the arrest of the MLC and withdrawal of FIR against the executive engineer, he added.

Meanwhile, Agarwal claimed that the MLC, accompanied by his supporters, reached his office and tried to drag him into his SUV. However, they failed in their attempt due to the protest of other employees at the spot.

“The MLC was trying to put pressure on the power department officials not to take action against a Mehendauri area consumer, who was caught for power theft, and a bill worth several lakhs of rupees was pending against him.

The MLC denied the allegations against him and alleged that Agarwal was demanding Rs 50,000 as bribe from the consumer.