Allahabad HC seeks progress report on probe into Kanpur Dehat incident

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a progress report on the inquiry into the death of a mother-daughter duo during an anti-encroachment drive in the Kanpur Dehat district on February 13.

The high court has also sought the personal affidavit of the state's Home Secretary on the issue.

A division bench comprising Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi fixed March 16 as the next date of hearing.

The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Avanish Kumar Pandey, who sought the court's intervention in the matter.

A woman and her daughter were allegedly burnt alive after a house caught fire when the police and administration teams were clearing encroachments in a Kanpur Dehat village on February 13.

During the course of arguments, it was informed on behalf of the state government that immediate action had been taken and an order of suspension issued as well as an FIR under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code had been lodged against officials.

The family of the two women, aged 44 and 21 years respectively, had lodged the FIR against 42 people, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Maitha, Gyaneshwar Prasad Singh on February 14.

The Uttar Pradesh government further submitted that a magisterial inquiry apart from a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been ordered and both are in progress.

The government also told the court that Rs five lakh each has been paid to the family of the deceased.