Budaun (UP), March 17 The district administration in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday demolished shops belonging to the prime accused in the murder of two Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) officials, citing that the establishments were built on government land.
On March 12, two officials of an HPCL plant in Sejni village – Assistant General Manager Harshit Mishra (34) and General Manager Sudhir Kumar Gupta (58) – were shot dead allegedly by Ajay Pratap Singh alias Ramu, a local who was previously a vendor at the plant.
Gupta had recently terminated some employees and blacklisted vendors whose work was unsatisfactory. Singh was among those removed. Since the termination, Singh had been upset with the general manager and had threatened him on several occasions.
The family members of Harshit Mishra have demanded a CBI investigation into the matter and have threatened self-immolation if they do not receive justice.
Dataganj Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dharmendra Kumar Singh said that all encroachments made by Ajay Pratap Singh and others had been identified beforehand.
Notices were issued to the concerned individuals, granting them time to voluntarily remove the encroachments. However, the illegal structures were not removed even after the stipulated time had elapsed.
On Tuesday, the administration proceeded to remove the illegal structures using bulldozers.
He informed that approximately 12 roadside shops had been identified for demolition, with about six shops situated on one side of the road and six on the other.
The SDM further clarified that among the demolished structures, six shops belonged to Ajay Pratap Singh, while the remaining six belonged to his uncle, Rakesh Singh.
He added that a survey conducted by the Public Works Department (PWD) revealed that the shops had been constructed illegally on government land.
The SDM also mentioned that during the investigation, it came to light that another shop belonging to the accused had been built on barren land; this shop has since been vacated and sealed.
The electricity connections for the accused's family were also found to be illegal; and a team from the electricity department has been summoned to the site, he said, adding that a separate FIR will also be lodged regarding this matter.
Meanwhile, Harshit Mishra's maternal uncle Vikas Kumar has demanded a CBI inquiry into the case.
Vikas, along with his family, had come to Budaun on Tuesday to meet the local senior superintendent of police.
Speaking to reporters, he became emotional and said that the family seeks justice and a fair, unbiased investigation into the entire matter.
Appealing to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the family urged that the case be handed over to the CBI so that the truth can come to light. They warned that if justice is delayed, they would be compelled to do self-immolation in front of the police headquarters.
Vikas Kumar said, "We are pandits, has being a pandit become a crime in this state? We have to face the same fate as the infamous criminal Vikas Dubey?"
SSP Ankita Sharma stated that action has been taken against the accused by demolishing their illegal shops and encroachments. If any further illegal property or encroachment is found, strict action will continue.
Cases are also being registered for the illegal use of electricity by the accused, she added.