Mining officer accuses BJP MLA, his aides of assault

KANPUR :Mining officer Shailendra Singh posted in Banda district has accused the BJP MLA Brijesh Prajapati and his aides of thrashing him in a locked room of the circuit house on Tuesday night.

Singh was forcibly taken to the circuit house from his house, where he and a junior colleague were allegedly held captive. The mining officer has further alleged that the MLA was asking for Rs 25 lakh per month as his share for each of the three sand mines operating in the region.

On his complaint, the Kotwali police registered an FIR against the MLA and six of his aides, three of them were not named. SHO Kotwali Anil Singh said the case has been registered and the police were investigating the case.

“He was angry at my refusal. I told him I will not pay that amount and they started beating me up in the circuit house room. A junior colleague was also held captive in another room,” he said.

In his FIR, Singh has said the MLA’s representative Neeraj Patel came to his office with three police-gunners. He asked him to accompany him as the MLA was calling him to the circuit house.

Singh said that the MLA asked him why Rs 25 lakh each for the three mines operating in his assembly area, Tindvari, were not given as his share so far. He demanded payment and Singh said it was not possible.

“I was first slapped and then his aides began kicking and punching me; the gunmen kept their guns pointed at me,” he said.

“I clutched his feet and began begging for my life; I told him I have small children. The MLA told me he was a political person and no harm will come to him but he will be sent ‘upwards’ at a cost of just Rs 150,” he said.

Singh said he has met the district magistrate and apprised him of the entire incident and sought security for his family. He also blamed the police of trying to water down his complaint and relevant sections were not added in the FIR. The SHO said the sections under which the case has been filed were invoked on the basis of Singh’s complaint. MLA Prajapati, however, accused Singh of being a corrupt official who has formed a gang with illegal miners.