A week after he was assaulted during the filing of nomination papers for the Urban Cooperative Bank delegate elections in Lakhimpur Kheri, BJP MLA Yogesh Verma on Wednesday got an FIR registered against District Bar Association president Awadhesh Singh, his wife Pushpa Singh, and others.
Apart from the couple, two of his associates — Sangram Singh and Neeraj Singh – and 40 unidentified people have been booked under BNS sections 131 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 189 (2) (intentionally join unlawful assembly or continues to be part of it), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351 (criminal intimidation), 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
“No arrests have been made so far. A probe is underway,” said Station House Officer (Kotwali Police Station) Ambar Singh.
The MLA alleged that he reached the Urban Cooperative Bank on October 9 after receiving information that Awadhesh Singh and his associates were beating up those who had come to file nomination papers, including BJP leader and businessman Raju Agarwal.
Pushpa Singh, the former chairman of the Urban Cooperative Bank, was also a candidate in the upcoming election.
The MLA alleged that when he arrived at the spot, he saw Singh threatening and abusing people who were there to file their papers.
Verma claimed that when he objected, Awadhesh and his associates attacked him, causing injuries. He further stated that the accused fled the scene after threatening him with dire consequences once the police and public arrived.
A purported video of the altercation, which went viral on social media, shows the MLA being slapped and roughed up by a group of people led by Singh.
Verma said the entire incident took place in the presence of police and administrative officials.
Two days ago, the BJP expelled Awadhesh Singh and Pushpa Singh from the party.