Two LMC officials booked for assaulting farmer

Both officials have been booked under sections 115(2), 110, 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and provisions of the SC/ST Act. A senior police officer confirmed the FIR and said investigations were underway.

An FIR was registered against two Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) officials for allegedly assaulting a farmer during a demolition drive, following a complaint lodged by his wife Maya Devi at Sushant Golf City police station on Thursday, officials said.

A senior police officer confirmed the FIR and said investigations were underway. (For representation)

In her FIR, Maya Devi stated that she and her husband Ram Milan Rawat were tending to cattle when the LMC team, led by naib tehsildar Ratnesh Srivastava and lekhpal Subhash Kaushal, arrived with police for demolition on August 25.

The family sought an hour’s time, citing Rawat’s spinal ailment and stored fodder. Instead, Srivastava allegedly abused him on caste lines and slapped him, leaving him unconscious and bleeding from the ears, the FIR stated. Both officials have been booked under sections 115(2), 110, 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and provisions of the SC/ST Act. A senior police officer confirmed the FIR and said investigations were underway.

The FIR also said that when neighbour Prema Devi tried to intervene, Kaushal allegedly strangled her, causing serious injuries. Villagers gathered at the spot, forcing the officials to flee. Rawat was rushed to the Gosainganj CHC. However, he was referred to Civil hospital and later shifted to KGMU Trauma Centre.

A purported video of the incident, widely circulated on social media, showed an LMC official hitting the farmer. Assistant municipal commissioner Rameshwar Prasad, initially unaware of the matter, assured an inquiry after being shown the clip. “If the official slapped the farmer, action will be taken after investigation,” he said.