Kanpur Demolition: Letter Petition before Allahabad HC seeks CBI inquiry, suspension of erring govt officials
During a demolition drive, a woman and her daughter died inside their burning house allegedly built on gram sabha land, however, her son and husband managed to get outside alive.
A letter petition has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the matter and suspension of government officers responsible for the death of a woman and her 22-year-old daughter during an anti-encroachment drive at Madauli village in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh.
Pramila Dixit and her daughter Neha died inside the house after allegedly officials set fire to their thatched house on February 13, 2023.
The Public Interest Litigation plea, filed by Swadesh & Prayag Legal Aid Clinic and its President Ram Prakash Dwivedi states that "these types of incidents in the State of Uttar Pradesh will threaten the common citizens of the state about the position of law and order and they feel unsafe from the executive actions".
The plea, filed through Advocate Gaurav Dwivedi, along with compensation to the family of the deceased women, also seeks an independent judicial inquiry or in the alternative an inquiry by a Special Investigation Agency into the matter.
As per the plea, though after a green signal from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a demolition drive against land mafias was going on, the Chief Minister had clarified that no economically backward person shall be targetted by the administration during the process.
"If any of the poor or economically backward class of people are in possession of government land then there is a duty of the administration to provide them a shelter elsewhere meaning thereby to relocate them at a safer place before proceeding demolition work," the plea states.
The plea further emphasizes that according to fire safety protocol, the fire brigade is a must while executing any demolition drive by any government official.
"...the Kanpur Dehat incident shows the law and order of the state of Uttar Pradesh where officers are taking the life of fellow citizens in an inhuman manner whereas they are also not following the instruction of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in order to tarnish his reputation and administration," the plea reads.
As per news reports, on Monday, a team of district administration led by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of the area arrived with a bulldozer at the women's house which was allegedly built on gram sabha land.
While the proceedings against the encroachment were going on, the house started burning and the woman and her daughter died inside.
The woman's son who managed to save his life along with his father's, has claimed that it was the government officers who set their house on fire, however, the government officials have stated that the woman had locked herself inside during the demolition process and after a while, flames started emanating out of the hut.
Case Title: Swadesh & Prayag Legal Aid Clinic v. State of UP and Others