No mercy for poor in UP; 2 women die during anti-encroachment drive

Press Trust of India

Kanpur: A day after a motherdaughter duo died allegedly due to self-immolation during an anti-encroachment drive in Kanpur Dehat, police on Tuesday booked 39 people including a sub-divisional magistrate, four revenue officials and over a dozen cops on murder and other charges. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Maitha) Gyaneshwar Prasad has also been placed under suspension, said Inspector General of Police (Kanpur Range) Prashant Kumar.

The FIR has been registered on charges of murder, attempt to murder apart from mischief by killing or maiming cattle, mischief by fire with intent to destroy house, etc and intentional insult, Kumar told PTI over the phone. The family and villagers sought ex-gratia of Rs 5 crore and a government job to at least two members of the bereaved family, according to IGP Kumar.

Pramila Dixit (45) and her daughter Neha (20) set themselves afire in a hut in the presence of police and revenue officials, who had gone to Madauli village in the Rura area to remove encroachments from a "gram samaj" land.