‘He asked men to close the gates of circuit house’

LUCKNOW: A BJP MLA and his aides allegedly locked up and thrashed a mining official inside a circuit house while demanding Rs 25 lakh per month from the proceeds of sand mining in UP's Banda district Shailendra Singh, the 43-year-old mining official who is posted in the same district, told police that he "somehow wriggled out" of the 30-minute confinement by Brajesh Kumar Prajapati and his associates. Singh is serving the UP government for more than six years.UP Police have registered a case of wrongful confinement and stopping a public servant from discharging duties against Prajapati but he is yet to be arrested. "We have not arrested the MLA yet. The matter is being investigated. We are in process of gathering all evidences," said Banda SP V Anand.When contacted, Prajapati said: "There were a few other people, including rickshawallahs and autowallahs present and I had called him to present a complaint before me. Why would I seek Rs 25 lakh from an officer in front of other people?"Singh’s detailed two-page statement, which was made part of the FIR, reads: “While I was brought to Tindwari MLA, he [Brajesh Kumar Prajapati] said that there are three mining sites in his constituency. He told me in no uncertain terms that I must arrange Rs 25 lakh for him every month only then the routine mining will take place. He asked men to close the gates of the circuit house, snatch my mobile phone and lock me and my staff who had accompanied me”.The MLA then allegedly tasked one Niraj Patel and five-six others to “kick and punch” the official. “After getting thrashed badly, when I lay at Prajapati’s feet and told him about my 10-year-old son, he said ‘yadi tum hissa nahi tay karate, toh goli khaane ke liye taiyaar ho jaao. Bullet Rs 150 mein aati hai, main goli se udwa doonga, yahan se apna transfer kara lo, ya...’ (Be ready to be shot if you cannot arrange my share of money. A bullet costs on Rs 150. I will blow you off with a sinbgle bullet. Get your transfer from here).” The official claimed that at least two of the MLA’s men had rifles.The MLA also allegedly told the official that he must stop vehicles ferrying mined sand and demand bribe if he is unable to arrange the money from the proceeds.The police were mum on whether round-the-clock security would be provided to the mining official.