Gangster’s ‘illegal’ two-storied building razed in Gkp village

This is the third demolition drive in the past eight days carried out in the district as part of the crackdown on criminal elements

District authorities on Tuesday demolished a two-storied building owned by jailed gangster Rakesh Yadav as part of their clampdown on criminal elements in Gorakhpur.

Yadav is booked in 52 cases of loot, murder and extortion in various police stations of Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh districts. Currently in jail, Yadav had surrendered himself before a court only weeks before on June 3.

Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) chief engineer Kishan Singh said the building, spread over 6,000 square feet and located in Jhongiya village under Gulharia police station limits of the district, was illegal since its owner/developer had not sought the authority’s approval for its map, and there was no response to a notice served on the owner on May 19. Superintendent of police-North Manoj Kumar Awasthi confirmed the same.

Yadav is booked in 52 cases of loot, murder and extortion in various police stations of Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh districts. Currently in jail, Yadav had surrendered himself before a court only weeks before on June 3.

This is the third demolition drive in the past eight days carried out in the district as part of the crackdown on criminal elements. On June 12, the district authorities razed a convention hall owned by Ajeet Shahi and another buiding belonging to Vinod Upadhyay on Saturday.

Yadav first grabbed the headlines in the murder case of MLA Om Parkash Paswan in 1996.