Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath removes DM, SP of Sonbhadra over tribal massacre

"Government has initiated departmental proceedings against Sonbhadra District Magistrate Anikt Kumar Agrawal and Superintendent of Police Salman Zafar Taj Patil. Till that period Agarwal will remain attached with Appointment department and Patil with DGP’s office," Chief Minister said in a hurriedly called press conference here on Sunday.

S Ram Lingam has been appointed as new DM of Sonbhadra while Prabhakar Chaudhury will replace Patil as SP. Both the new officials were rushed to Sonbhadra by the state government chopper.

CM also ordered a SIT probe by DIG (SIT) J Ravindra Gaur that will investigate the matter and file FIRs wherever required. He ordered that FIR should be lodged against six officers including Tehsildar, Circle Officers, Assistant record Officer, and ASP Arun Prakash,

Yogi said chances of officials being alive who transferred gram panchayat land to a Co-operative society in 1955 is bleak but the officials who transferred land to individuals in 1989, if alive, action should be taken against them. He also ordered lodging of FIR against wives of two retired IAS officers for illegally purchasing Gram Panchayat land in 1989.

“The land deal smacked of illegal administrative action where the politicians and bureaucrats joined hands to harass poor farmers. Gram sabha land was illegally sold to a co-operative society in 1955 and then to individuals in 1989. The officials who were supposed to protect the farmers lodged FIRs against the farmers. Some of the farmers were booked under Goonda Act. This emboldened the village head who opened fire on villagers when he tried to take possession of the land,” Yogi said.

He said those officials who sided with politicians and worked under the pressure of bureaucrats would be punished.

The action by the UP government comes a day after the additional chief secretary (revenue) submitted a report to the government. Yogi had constituted a three member committee to probe into the land deal when 10 persons were killed and 28 injured in the clash after the henchmen of a Gran Pradhan opened fire on a group of farmers over a land dispute.

CM said that his government had immediately provided relief when the unfortunate incident happened in Umbha village in Sonbhadra where gram pradhan and his henchmen tried to forcibly take possession of land which the farmers were tilling for last three generations.

“The whole incident has a political connection too as the Co-operative society against whom the land was transferred was headed by Congress leader Maheshwar Prasad Narain, who was Rajya Sabha MP. The Gram Pradhan Yagya Dutt, to whom land was sold in July 17, 2019 was a Samajwadi Party sympathizer,” he said adding that the transfer of 1334 bigha of land in Sapahi and Umbha village was illegal because of the manifestation of political-bureaucrat nexus.