BJP MP Subrat Pathak booked for assaulting senior Uttar Pradesh official

Refusal to give sanction to some projects in favour of BJP Lok Sabha member from Kannauj constituency Subrat Pathak bypassing the rules cost a senior Uttar Pradesh revenue official dearly when the MP barged into the latter's official residence with his supporters and thrashed him.

According to the police sources here, Arvind Kumar, who was a tehsildar (revenue officer), was allegedly beaten by Pathak and his supporters in Kannauj, about 200 kilometres from here, on Tuesday.

Kumar said that the MP had been exerting pressure on him to give sanction some projects in violation of the rules. ''He (Pathak) first abused me on the telephone and a little later barged into my residence and assaulted me,'' the official said.

Although Kumar called senior district officials and apprised them of the incident, they failed to turn up to rescue him.

A case was registered against the MP under the SC/ST Act and other sections of the IPC, sources said adding that an investigation was underway.

Pathak, however, refuted the allegations and claimed that the official 'misbehaved' with him (Pathak), when he sought an explanation from him on complaints regarding irregularities in distribution of food grains.