Dharmpuri MLA returns from ‘exile’, says life in danger

As policemen kept on combing Dhar and supporters used their clout to find the whereabouts of BJP MLA Kalu Singh Thakur, the disgruntled legislator returned on Thursday from what he called a self-exile to escape threats from a contractor.

As policemen kept on combing Dhar and supporters used their clout to find the whereabouts of BJP MLA Kalu Singh Thakur, the disgruntled legislator returned on Thursday from what he called a self-exile to escape threats from a contractor.

Dhar MLA Kalu Singh Thakur returned on Thursday from what he called a self-exile to escape threats from a contractor. (HT photo)

On Wednesday, Thakur’s family had lodged a case at Manday police station after two of his supporters were arrested for allegedly damaging about a dozen trucks of PD Agarwal Construction Company at Dhamnod town and Sarai. The MLA was opposed to construction of the 75km-long Nagda-Gujari (two-lane) road by the company.

Back from his “solitude for mental peace” at his Dhar farmland, the first-time BJP MLA alleged that he was being harassed by contractor PD Agarwal, and that his repeated complaints to the administration fell on deaf ears.

“I will leave Dhar and shift to Bhopal because my life is in danger. I will come back to Dharmpuri when a proper probe will be ordered against the contractor,” said the MLA.

In 2014-15, the Income Tax (I-T) department had carried out a massive search operation against PD Agrawal in Mhow, Pithampur, Indore and several other places. IT sources said investigations into the case are on.

Agarwal rubbished the allegations and said he was willing to help in the probe. “The MLA is harassing me and his supporters damaged my property. I am a small-time contractor and he is a ruling party MLA. How can I harass him?”

Sources said Agrawal is in good books of a senior BJP leader of Indore and has bagged government contracts for road construction worth crores of rupees in Madhya Pradesh. “It is not easy to register case against supporters of a sitting BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh. Agrawal has strong support within the BJP,” a local BJP leader of Dhar said seeking anonymity.