Uttar Pradesh: Mother-daughter protesting eviction from land burnt alive in a hut under suspicious circumstances

Kanpur. Mother and daughter were burnt alive in a house fire during removal of encroachment in Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh. The administration had gone to remove illegal encroachment from government land. The 2:30 minute video related to the incident is now viral on social media. In the video, during the removal of the encroachment, the woman runs into the hut screaming and locks the door. The police also rush there and break the door. As soon as the bulldozer brought by the police begins to demolish the shack, under suspicious circumstances the shack catches fire, and chaos ensues everywhere. In this fire, the woman and her daughter burn to ashes. It is alleged that the officers in connivance with the land mafia set the hut on fire.

Learn about the case in detail?

On February 13, 2023, the police and district administration team had reached Chalha village in Madauli Panchayat of Maitha Tehsil area in Kanpur Dehat, UP, to remove encroachment from the land of the village community. Meanwhile, the police started the process of removing the hut of Pramila Dixit (44), who lives in the village. Pramila along with her daughter Neha Dixit (21) barged into the hut and locked it from inside. During this time some goats were also present inside the hut.

Know what was the ground dispute?

According to information, Gaydanlal, a resident of Madauli village, had complained against Krishna Gopal Dixit, Ansh Dixit, Shivam etc. of the village itself for building houses by occupying the land of the population. On this, on January 13, 2023, on the instructions of SDM Matha, Revenue Inspector Nand Kishore, Lekhpal Ashok Singh Chauhan had demolished the house with JCB. The victim Krishna Gopal and his son Shivam, along with their family members took goats etc. from the loader and staged a sit-in at the Mati headquarters demanding accommodation, but SDM Matha and ADM administration Keshav Gupta called them mafia. On January 14, Tehsildar Akbarpur Ranvijay Singh filed a case against Krishna Gopal, Pramila, Shivam, Ansh, Neha Shalini and VHP leaders Aditya Shukla and Gaurav Shukla. At present, those people were living there with thatched roofs. To remove him, the team of administrative officers had reached with the police force.

Villagers made SDM and police run away

As soon as the fire broke out, the SDM and the police were chased away by the villagers. Everyone saved their lives by running away. On getting information about the incident, Kanpur Commissioner Raj Shekhar, DM Neha Jain, ADG Alok Kumar and other officers have also reached the spot. In view of the tension in the village, police and PAC have been deployed. Kanpur Commissioner Raj Shekhar said, “We are probing the allegations made by the victim. Whatever facts emerge in this case, action will be taken accordingly. Whoever is guilty will not be spared.”

Commissioner (Divisional Commissioner) Rajasekhar said, “ADG Alok Kumar is investigating the whole matter. The family members against whom they will also give Tahrir will be investigated and a case will be registered against them.”

Woman and daughter lock themselves in hut during protest

Superintendent of Police, Kanpur Dehat BBGTS Murthy reached the spot and inquired about the whole matter. The Superintendent of Police said, SDM and other employees had come on the spot to remove the illegal occupation. During this, some people were protesting against not removing the encroachment. The woman and her daughter were also involved in the protest. While protesting, both of them locked themselves inside the hut. After a while, a fire broke out inside the hut, in which the woman and her daughter died. The cause of the fire is being ascertained. Some people and the name of Lekhpal are coming to the fore in the incident. Along with this, the video made during the removal of encroachment will also be seen. Strict action will be taken against whoever is guilty.

The team had reached on the complaint of illegal possession

There was a complaint of encroachment against Krishna Gopal Dixit in Madauli village of Kanpur Dehat Maitha tehsil. On 13 February 2023, SDM Matha Dnyaneshwar Prasad, along with police and revenue personnel had reached the village to remove the encroachment.

the officers set fire to my hut

In this case, the victim’s family says, “SDM, Tehsildar, Ashok Dixit and Anil Dixit of the village along with many other people came to our hut on Monday. They said set the hut on fire. After which our hut caught fire. Granted. We were inside then. We were able to get out with great difficulty. A young man named Gaurav Dixit of the village works in Delhi. He is associated with Lekhpal and SO. They have demolished the hut. These people have also demolished our temple. They have killed my daughter and wife.”

What did the investigating officer say

ADG Kanpur Zone, Alok Singh, who is probing the matter, said, mother-daughter burnt to death while removing the encroachment. As soon as he got the information about the matter, he himself has left to go to the spot for spot-inspection.