SP worker, 2 journos booked for extorting Dalit village head

Pilibhit: Police have registered a case against a Samajwadi Party (SP) worker and journalists belonging to regional Hindi newspapers for allegedly demanding extortion money worth Rs 50,000 from Dalit village head of Pilibhit’s Khajuria Pachpeda.

The trio accused village head Rajendra Kumar of being part of a scam involving funds for a cow shelter. They also thrashed Kumar when he refused to fulfill their demands. Soon after the case was registered, the journalists filed a complaint with police against Kumar alleging an assault on them, resulting in the registration of a cross FIR.

In his written complaint, Kumar alleged that when he was reviewing the arrangements at the govt cow shelter home in his village around 5 pm when journalists Mukul Sharma and Ved Pal Tiwari, barged into the shelter along with SP worker Salim Ansari from Barkhera area. Sharma directed him to show all financial documents along with account sheets.

Kumar said, “On my demand for showing their valid identity cards, Sharma was enraged and began to pass casteist abuses. He threatened me with dire consequences if I did not pay Rs 50,000.”

SHO Mukesh Kumar Shukla said that an FIR was registered against the trio under BNS section 352 (intentional insult), 308 (5) (extortion by threatening), 131 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and appropriate sections of the SC/ST Act.

Meanwhile, a case was registered against Kumar, also accused of snatching Sharma’s gold chain, under BNS section 191 (2) (rioting), 352 (intentional insult), and 134 (criminal force used to attempt theft of property carried or worn by a person), the SHO said.

Courtesy : TOI

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