BJP MLA assaults UP official over protection money

A BJP legislator and his six supporters were booked for thrashing a senior government official after the latter allegedly refused to pay the former ''protection money'' in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district, about 175 km from here.

According to police sources, Brijesh Prajapati, BJP MLA from Tindwari assembly seat in the district, and his supporters barged into the Circuit House on Tuesday night and thrashed the district mining officer, who was staying there.

The terrified official managed to escape from there and informed the district magistrate about the incident, sources said.

The official claimed that Prajapati had demanded Rs 25 lakh from him as ''protection money'' for every mining contract issued by the former.

''He and his supporters started beating me when I expressed my inability to meet his demand,'' the official said.

MLA denies

Prajapati, however, rejected the allegations and said that he had gone to the Circuit House to speak to the official about alleged harassment of some small time sand traders.

Police sources said that a case was registered against Prajapati and six others and the matter was being investigated. ''We will ensure stern action against the guilty,'' said a senior district police official in Banda.

Earlier also BJP MLAs and even a minister have embarrassed their own government and party by assaulting senior officials and police personnel. In some cases, BJP leaders barged into police stations and forcibly got accused persons released from police custody.