Lineman kills self over ‘JE, associate seeking sexual favour from his wife’

LAKHIMPUR KHERI: A technical grade II (TG II) lineman, who had set himself afire on Saturday night alleging harassment by a senior, died on Sunday following which an FIR was lodged against junior engineer and a lineman on Monday.

The FIR was lodged at Palia Kotwali by Rajkumari, the widow of deceased lineman Gokul Prasad (45), in which she named junior engineer Nagendra Sharma and lineman Jagat Pal for harassing her husband.

Rajkumari alleged that accused JE and the lineman “were constantly causing mental harassment to her husband in the name of transfer/ posting to Palia, demanding Rs one lakh for transfer and calling her (complainant) to them for a night.”

Kheri SP Sanjiv Suman said the FIR was lodged under sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 504 (intentional insult, provocation) and the duo had been suspended by Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam superintendent engineer Ram Shabda.

He added police was probing the case and would take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, MVNL chief engineer AK Singh has also ordered a probe by a three-member panel, who have been asked to submit their report within a week.

Police said lineman (TG II) Gokul Prasad, of Palia kotwali area and presently posted at Aliganj town under Gola power station, set himself on fire before the residence of Nagaendra Sharma at Hydle colony Palia late Saturday night.

He was rushed to Lakhimpur and later to Lucknow in a critical condition where he died on Sunday.

Later, a video of Gokul Prasad went viral in which he accused Sharma of extortion and unethical demand for getting him transferred back to Palia, from where he had been shifted to Aliganj a few months back.

Gokul was earlier posted at Manhgapur under Palia but was transferred to Aliganj and he was apparently approaching the JE for his re-transfer to Palia.