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Sonbhadra DM, SP shunted out; CM orders probe
Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Lucknow, Yogi said that action was taken on basis of a reports submitted by the inquiry committee (related to land issue), headed by additional chief secretary, revenue, Renuka Kumar and committee (related to law and order) headed by additional director general of police (ADG), Varanasi zone, Braj Bhushan.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday removed the Sonbhadra district magistrate (DM) and the superintendent of police (SP) and ordered a departmental inquiry against them, more than a fortnight after 10 people were killed over a land dispute in Umbha village in the district.
S Ramlingam is the new DM in place of Ankit Kumar Agrawal, and Prabhakar Chaudhary has replaced Salman Taj Patil as the police chief of the district.
Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Lucknow, Yogi said that action was taken on basis of a reports submitted by the inquiry committee (related to land issue), headed by additional chief secretary, revenue, Renuka Kumar and committee (related to law and order) headed by additional director general of police (ADG), Varanasi zone, Braj Bhushan.
The ADG report admits inaction on the part of police besides pointing out that false cases were lodged against local villagers.
On July 17, 10 people were killed and 28 injured in the clash after a village headman and his supporters opened fire on a group of tribals over a land dispute.
According to an official with knowledge of the probe said that Renuka Kumar had submitted a 1,000-page report to the CM on Saturday, recommending action the district officials.
Action has also been announced against 13 former and present revenue officials. Yogi said the dispute has its origin in 1955 when the land was given to Adarsh Krishi Sahkari Samiti, and the government has decided to lodge an FIR against these revenue officials if they were still alive.
“Several revenue officials over the years were either involved or looked the other way when the land dispute evolved from 1955 to 2017 and the gram sabha land changed hands in violation of the revenue rules. The legal procedures to restore the land to the gram sabha will be initiated,” Yogi said. “The incident was sad and soon after the incident I had asked the UP DGP to act against the accused and I myself had visited Umbha village on July 21 and met the kin of the victims and had assured them action.”
He said the probe committee found that in 1952, the Adarsh Krishi Sahkari Samiti was founded in Umbha/Sapai which had 12 members. “The society was founded by a Congress leader of Bihar, Maheshwar Prasad, who was then an MLC. The panel found that a total of 641 bigha gram sabha land of Umbha and 664 bigha gram sabha land of Sapai was transferred to the Adarsh Society in 1955. From 1989 onwards, the society land began to be transferred in the individual names of the society members. And, then they began selling the land to others in the village.”
