Uttar Pradesh: Court orders FIR against BJP MLA on gangrape charges over land dispute

Budaun (UP): A special MP-MLA court here has directed to lodge an FIR against BJP's Bilsi MLA Harish Shakya and 15 others including his brother and nephew on charges of gangrape and fraud.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Leelu Chaudhary issued the order on Wednesday after hearing a plea filed by the husband of the alleged victim, who sought justice in a case involving a land dispute.

The court has instructed Civil Lines police station to register the case within 10 days and conduct a fair investigation into the matter.

Senior Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Singh said that police have not yet received a copy of the court's order.

"Once we receive the court order copy, FIR will be registered and appropriate legal action will be taken," he said.

In his plea, the petitioner said that his father had bought a piece of land long time ago near Poonam Lawn in Budhbai village in Civil Lines police station area and MLA Shakya wanted to buy that property.

The land is worth about Rs 18 crore but a deal between the petitioner and the MLA was finalised for Rs 16.5 crore, according to the petition.

The MLA agreed to pay 40 per cent of the land price at the time of the written agreement and the rest of the money was to be paid at the time of the deed. After this, Rs 1 lakh was given as advance by Shakya, the petitioner said.

After a few days, without giving 40 per cent, the MLA and his henchmen started pressuring him for a written agreement, the petitioner said, and alleged that when the agreement was not done without taking the money, police picked up his cousin and tortured him.

The petitioner also alleged that when he tried to sell the land to a builder, MLA's men did not let him sell the property.

According to the petitioner, police kept him in custody for three days and beat him. Later, the MLA's people took him with them after freeing him from police and tortured him, he claimed.

He further alleged that the MLA and his associates also gang-raped his wife.

BJP MLA Shakya said that he has no information about the court order.

"If the court has ordered filing a case, then he is ready to cooperate with police," he said, adding that he has full faith in the judiciary.