Dramatic Land Encroachment Case Involving Mauganj MLA Escalates to MP High Court
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Bhopal, Dec 5 (NationPress) The contentious issue of alleged encroachment on government property, featuring a dramatic turn of events involving Mauganj BJP MLA Pradeep Patel, has now reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court after the district administration was mandated to dismantle a boundary wall.
Narendra Bahadur Singh, who has constructed a residence on the disputed land, has filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, asserting that MLA Pradeep Patel is exerting pressure on the district administration to demolish his home along with others.
Singh informed the Court that the disputed plot is divided into two distinct portions, each assigned separate ‘Khasara’ numbers.
One portion (Khasra number 127) has been designated for a temple (Mahadevan temple), while the other portion (Khasra number 128) was allocated for Dalit and minority families to construct their residences.
The petitioner further stated that the second portion of land (Khasra number 128) was allocated to over a dozen families belonging to Dalit and Muslim communities a few years ago.
However, through his influence, the MLA is pressuring the district administration to label all homes constructed on this land as illegal and to demolish them under the pretext of encroachment, Singh contended.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of the MP HC Suresh Kumar Kait issued a stay on the demolition and requested a response from the respondents within two weeks.
"The High Court has ordered a stay and requested the district administration to provide their reply within two weeks," said advocate Manoj Sharma, who represented the petitioner in court.
Sharma further noted that the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, IG Rewa, District Collector, and Mauganj SP, as well as MLA Pradeep Patel, have been named as respondents in the case.
On November 19, police detained Pradeep Patel and several supporters after they arrived at the disputed land to clear encroachments, leading to communal tension and stone pelting that resulted in injuries to at least five individuals.
The BJP MLA was placed under house arrest in a guest house; however, he defied security measures and managed to return to the site the following morning. He was detained once more and placed under house arrest approximately 30 km away from the site.
Nonetheless, the MLA's defiance compelled the district administration to demolish the boundary wall on the disputed land three days later. The district administration has since taken control of the land and declared it a prohibited area.
