Police in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district have registered separate FIRs against BJP MLA Ramkumar Toppo and a revenue officer following cross-complaints of assault and misbehaviour linked to a dispute over the issuance of a solvency certificate, officials said on Thursday.
The case against Toppo, who represents the Sitapur assembly constituency, and his supporters was initially registered at Ambikapur police station before being transferred to Sitapur police station for further investigation.
According to police, the FIR names Toppo, Yusuf, Nazim Raza, Pankaj Gupta and 10-12 others under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to obstructing a public servant from discharging official duties, assaulting a public servant and rioting.
The complaint was lodged by Tushar Manik, nayab tehsildar posted in Rajapur, who alleged that the MLA and his supporters pressured him to immediately sign a “Shodh Kshamta Praman Patra” (solvency certificate) while he was carrying out official work on Wednesday.
Manik said he had asked the applicant to bring the required documents to his office on May 28 for verification before the certificate could be issued.
“When I refused to sign it immediately, the MLA used abusive language and his supporters assaulted me,” Manik alleged in his complaint, adding that the Sitapur SDM intervened and rescued him.
{{/usCountry}}“When I refused to sign it immediately, the MLA used abusive language and his supporters assaulted me,” Manik alleged in his complaint, adding that the Sitapur SDM intervened and rescued him.
{{/usCountry}}Police also registered a separate FIR against Manik based on a complaint lodged by a woman said to be Toppo’s cousin.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that she visited the Rajapur sub-tehsil office seeking issuance of the certificate, but the officer became angry, abused her, made obscene gestures and pushed her out of the office. She further alleged that casteist remarks were made against her tribal community.
The FIR against Manik was registered under sections related to obscene acts, criminal intimidation and insulting the modesty of a woman under the BNS.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Manik denied the allegations levelled against him and said the woman was insisting that he sign the certificate immediately despite procedural requirements.
He further alleged that Toppo’s personal assistant later called him and asked him to meet the MLA in Rajapur, where he was allegedly assaulted by some of the legislator’s supporters.
“The MLA was standing there with 10-20 supporters. Some of them started assaulting me. The SDM intervened and rescued me,” Manik claimed.
Ajeet Vasant, the Surguja district collector, said complaints had been lodged by both sides and further action would be taken after investigation. No arrests had been made so far, police said.