The noose is tightening around Ziaur Rahman Barq, the Sambhal MP from the Samajwadi Party who has been booked over the violence during the Shahi Masjid survey, as UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has warned that his property can be attached if he does not pay a Rs 1.91-crore fine for alleged power theft within 15 days.
The fine was slapped on the MP on December 19 during the ongoing campaign in the district against power theft and illegal connections. He was booked on the charge of large-scale electricity theft the same day. The power supply to his home was also snapped subsequently.
“We served the notice at residence of the MP in Sambhal on Saturday under section 3 of the Electricity Act and gave him a deadline of 15 days to clear the fine of Rs 1.91 crore, failing which the district magistrate will be approached to issue a recovery certificate and later go for attachment of his property to realise the government dues,” said Santosh Tripathi, Sub-Divisional Officer, UPPCL, Sambhal.
The MP was booked on the evening of November 24 for allegedly instigating violence outside the Shahi Masjid during a court-ordered survey that day. Four people were killed and many including police sustained injuries in the violence.
An FIR was registered on December 19 against the MP’s father Mumluk Ur Rahman Barq for allegedly posing hindrance to the discharge of duty by government servants. “The father has dared us that we will all be ruined in the event of change of power in Uttar Pradesh. He said, ‘let the SP government assume power, you all will face consequences’, threatening us that our activities at his residence have been recorded on CCTV cameras,” said Tripathi.
Executive Engineer Naveen Gautam has said the power connection to the MP’s home will remain cut till he pays the fine. “The two meters at his residence were showing zero reading for the last six months and units were not more than 100 in any of the remaining months this year,” he said.
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