UP: FIR names BJP MLA, others in Greater Noida 'land grab' case

Police in Uttar Pradeshs Greater Noida have lodged an FIR against a BJP MLA from Varanasi and owners of a fast food franchise in connection with alleged grabbing of land and cheating, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

Police in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida have lodged an FIR against a BJP MLA from Varanasi and owners of a fast food franchise in connection with alleged grabbing of land and cheating, a senior officer said on Wednesday. The FIR was lodged at the Dadri Police Station on Tuesday following an order of a local court, and the matter is being investigated, he said. The complainant, according to the FIR seen by PTI, has alleged that the operators of the Bikanervala franchise have not paid rent for his property and violated conditions of their 2018 contract for a commercial space located in Dadri area.

The complainant also alleged that the accused refused to vacate his property despite a notice, and instead began harbouring “criminal elements” on a part of the property. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida 2) Nitin Kumar said that an FIR has been lodged in the case and further action will be taken according to the findings of the probe.

Kumar said it was too early to deduce any fact on the basis of a complaint and details of the case could be established only after the probe is completed. Vinit Agrawal, Pankaj Agrawal, Shyam Sundar Agrawal, Manish Agrawal, Saurabh Shrivastava (MLA Varanasi Cantonment), and his relative Ashok Mathur, besides 10-12 unknown others, have been named in the FIR.

Bikanervala franchise and MLA Shrivastava could not be immediately contacted for their response.

The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 467, 468, 471 (all three related to forgery), 427 (mischief), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 392 (robbery), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).