MLA, aides let loose a reign of terror

A SAMAJWADI Party MLA let loose a reign of terror in a Auraiya village for defying his diktats during the village panchayat and block pramukh elections on Tuesday. Over a dozen men and women were injured in the indiscriminate firing by MLA’s henchmen.

Three of the injured, including a BDC member, were shifted to LLR hospital here because of their critical condition. The MLA from Ajitmal, Madan Singh Gautam, also suffered injury on his forehead when the villagers attempted to snatch his rifle. Gautam, who has been admitted to an Agra hospital, charged the villagers with attacking him with a grenade.

Additional SP (Auraiya) Dharamveer while confirming the attack by MLA, said an FIR was being lodged on the complaint of Gautam.

The police, he added, would have no problems registering another case if any one of the injured intended to file a case against the MLA and his supporters.

According to reports, the village Nand Ka Purwa was on the MLA’s hit list ever since BDC member Pan Kumari voted against the MLA’s nephew who had contested for block pramukh post and lost consequently.

Even earlier, the village, a known BSP bastion, had voted against Gautam’s candidates in gram panchayat elections.

This morning, a close confidante of the MLA went to Nand Ka Purwa and barged into the house of Pan Kumari. “They started misbehaving with the womenfolk to teach me a lesson. When we protested we all were beaten up ruthlessly,” Pan Kumari told HT.

The attack evoked sharp reaction from villagers who detained the MLA’s men and went to inform the police. Meanwhile, the MLA learnt about the detention and he straightaway reached the village along with heavily armed men. After securing the custody of his men, his men reportedly went berserk. They thrashed anyone they found and open indiscriminate fire without any provocation. The police have collected 18 empty shells from the site.

The MLA, however, received a superficial wound when some villagers tried to snatch his rifle. Threatening the entire village with dire consequences, the MLA and his men left the village before the police arrived.  While some injured were treated at local health centre, Pan Kumari, Raj Laxmi and her son Pradeep Kumar were sent to Kanpur. All the three have sustained multiple fractures and grievous injuries on the head. The Auraiya police, however, has denied of any grenade being used in the violence as claimed by Gautam. Instead the additional SP maintained the MLA received the injury in the scuffle with the villagers.