FIR against BJP leader, kin of Ex-PM Chandrashekhar's son, for threatening Dalit scholar

Ballia: A BJP leader closely associated with former prime minister Chandrashekhar's son Neeraj Shekhar has been booked for allegedly threatening a Dalit research scholar from Lucknow University, police here said on Tuesday.

According to police, the FIR was lodged late Monday night at Ubhaon Police Station on the complaint of Deepak Kannaujia, a native of Turtipar village.

Police said that in his complaint, Kannaujia, a scholar at the Lucknow University, alleged that BJP leader Alok Singh called him on May 21 and abused him and threatened to kill him.

"Record this conversation if you want. I am not afraid of the administration or the law and order in Uttar Pradesh," Alok Singh said, according to the complaint.

BJP's Bilthara Road area president Arun Kant Tiwari confirmed that Alok Singh is affiliated with the BJP and is a close relative of Neeraj Shekhar.

Kannaujia alleged that Alok Singh had a longstanding political enmity with his family.

He said his father, Kamlesh Kannaujia, died of a heart attack on October 31 last year due to the stress caused by repeated harassment. He said he was afraid Alok Singh might get his mother, who lives alone in the village, killed.

Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh told PTI on Tuesday that an audio clip related to the incident had recently gone viral on social media.

A preliminary inquiry was conducted by Rasra Circle Officer Alok Gupta, after which Alok Singh was booked under sections 352 (intentional insult) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS, and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.