Bulldozers in action again: PSP leader’s guest house in Kanpur demolished

The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) demolished guest house of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) in Juhi area on Thursday

The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) demolished guest house of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) in Juhi area on Thursday.

Bulldozers in action again in Kanpur on Thursday. (Pic is for representation)

Four bulldozers were used to demolish the structure amid tight security arrangements.

KDA officials said, Vinod Prajapati, former Kanpur Dehat president of PSP, was running the guest house for past 20 years. “He was occupying 2000 square yards of LDA land,” KDA officials said.

KDA’s officer on special duty Satyam Shukla said two land plots 744 and 744A in W block Juhi Kalan belonged to the authority. “However, Prajapati forged documents to occupy the land on which he constructed Divyanshu guest house. After several notices, the premises were sealed but the leader allegedly broke open the seal and continued to operate the guest house. The authority had also lodged an FIR against him,” he said.

KDA had ordered demolition of the guest house two months ago.

Prajapati, however, described the demolition as a contempt of court. “The Allahabad high court in its writ petition (54459) had ordered status quo on August 15, 2009 on this property. Demolition of the property by KDA was illegal,” he claimed.