In a surprising move, the family of arrested Uttar Pradesh MLA Vijay Mishra have got their own ‘illegally constructed’ shopping complex in Prayagraj demolished. This move came after the Yogi Adityanath government has been on the offensive to destroy the ecosystem of the tainted MLA Vijay Mishra, who has 73 cases registered against him and has been booked under the Goonda Act and the stringent National Security Act in the past.
Fearing similar fate like that of their three-storey residential building spread in an area of 500 sq ft worth several crores in Allahpur area, which was demolished by the Yogi government last month, Mishra’s family got the top two floors of their shopping complex demolished. The complex has more than twenty shops and showrooms on the lower two floors including the basement, while offices and lodges run on the top two floors.
According to the building plan, the Prayagraj Development Authority had granted permission for the construction of only two storeys in that complex, but Vijay Mishra used his clout and muscle power to illegally construct extra two floors without the approval from authorities. These two top floors were declared illegal by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA). Now, probably fearing that the entire structure might be razed by the Yogi government due to the illegal two floors, Mishra’s family has reportedly gone on to themselves demolish the top two illegally constructed floors of the shopping complex.
Tainted MLA Vijay Mishra’s illegal residence razed by Yogi government
Last month, continuing the crackdown against illegal properties owned by the jailed Badohi MLA, a joint team of Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), district administration and police had razed a three-storey residential building spread in an area of 500 sq ft worth several crores in Allahpur area under George Town police station of Prayagraj. It was alleged that the MLA had illegally occupied Nazul land and action to demolish the illegal structures were taken on a complaint.
Despite resistence from the wife of jailed MLA, Ram Lali Mishra, MLC from UP along with her daughter Seema Mishra, the demolition drive was carried out under the supervision of Zonal Officer, PDA, Ashwasht Shukla and officer on special duty (enforcement) Alok Pandey. The team backed by heavy police force led by CO and an SDM-rank official, continued the demolition drive for hours and then sealed the entire area.
Wanted UP MLA Vijay Mishra arrested for role in criminal case
The tainted MLA Vijay Mishra of Bhadohi and his son were arrested in August 2020. The four-time MLA, who was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on a Nishad Party ticket in 2017, was arrested for allegedly grabbing a relative’s house and extorting money from him. They were booked under sections 323 (voluntary causing hurt), 347 (wrongful confinement), 387 (putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 449 (house-trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code on August 4. The father son duo were also charged with raping a Varanasi-based singer.
The MLA, belonging to Nishad Party, currently has 73 cases registered against him and has been booked under the Goonda Act and the stringent National Security Act in the past.
Yogi Adityanath Govt tightening its noose on land-mafia
In its effort to curb against the menace of land mafia in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has been tightening its noose on such encroachers. Besides launching an anti-land mafia portal in 2017, where people of the state can file their complaints against any illegal occupation in lands belonging to any private or government institutes and setting up of anti-land mafia task force to check illegal land grabbing in the state, Yogi Govt also identified more than 1.5 lakh people who have encroached upon government land.
It has been carrying out demolition drives on the property acquired illegally by many influential persons in the state including people like Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and dreaded gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The UP government had also bulldozed illegal constructions done by gangster Vikas Dubey and influential Islamic preacher Pir Khushal Miyan.