SP leader booked under Gangster Act for land grab

Former Samajwadi Party legislator Rameshwar Singh Yadav has been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act for grabbing government land.

His brother, Jogendra Singh Yadav, the former district council president, has also been named as a member of the 'gang' involved in grabbing government land.

Yadav claimed that the actions of the district administration and police are 'politically-motivated.'

"We are being targeted by the local authorities on the instructions of the state government. I will take this matter to court," he told reporters.

On April 2, the Etah district administration demolished a brick kiln operated by the SP leader's younger brother Ramnath Yadav in the Ghadi Roshan village under Aliganj sub-division.

Four bulldozers were used to remove alleged encroachments on 33 bigha land worth over Rs 15 crore. Part of a cold storage owned by Ramnath's son was also demolished.

Etah district magistrate Ankit Kumar Agarwal said, "On the basis of the report presented by the police, action under the Gangster Act has been approved against Rameshwar Yadav and Jogendra Yadav. Both of them have been involved in grabbing government land and performing illegal construction work on it."

Ahead of the panchayat elections last year, the Etah police had registered FIRs in three different cases of alleged land grabs and illegal construction work against Rameshwar Singh Yadav and Jogendra Singh Yadav.

Later, they were declared 'land mafias' and their properties were demolished.