UP: Former BJP MLA's kin among 2 booked for beating shopkeeper over payment for furniture

Two persons, including a kin of former BJP MLA Sharad Awasthi, have been booked for allegedly beating, threatening and also damaging the property of the owner of a furniture shop, police said on Monday.

The action was taken after a video surfaced on social media in which Amitabh Pathak, the furniture shop owner, made the allegations against the former legislator's relative.

The FIR was registered against Teetu Pandey, the former MLA's relative and another person on Sunday, police said.

Circle officer Beenu Singh said that there is a dispute between Pathak and the former MLA over the payment for a sofa.

Pathak alleged that on September 12, Awasthi bought a sofa for Rs 93,000 from his shop and paid Rs 40,000. He went to the former MLA's place on September 21 to get the rest of the amount when Teetu Pandey and the other person beat him up and also damaged his vehicle, Pathak alleged. Station House Officer of the City police station Sanjay Maurya said a probe into the matter was underway.