A government official in Kannauj on Tuesday alleged that BJP Lok Sabha MP Subrat Pathak and his supporters allegedly barged into his residence and assaulted him for not distributing rations to people listed by the politician.
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Tehsildar Arvind Kumar said the MP was accompanied by 20-25 people who also allegedly thrashed him. Talking to reporters after the incident, Mr. Kumar said he had first received a phone call from Mr. Pathak who allegedly asked why people featuring on a list sent by the MP two days earlier were yet to receive rations.
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Mr. Kumar said he had informed the MP that the concerned naib (deputy tehsildar) was tasked with identifying the beneficiaries and distributing rations to them. The official said he had also told Mr. Pathak that he would check the status with the naib and get back to him in 10 minutes, and get the rations distributed to those who were yet to receive them.
However, Mr. Kumar claimed that the MP had instantly started abusing him and threatened him.
Later, Mr. Pathak had turned up at his residence with his supporters, said the official.
“They started beating the door due to which my daughter and wife started crying. I got scared thinking they could barge in and misbehave with my wife and daughter or hit them, so I opened the door and came out,” Mr. Kumar said.
Upon coming out, Mr. Kumar said he found the MP sitting in his chair and after a short exchange of words, he alleged Mr. Pathak had snatched his mobile phone and started hitting him.
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“He started slapping me and the 20-25 people with him also beat me... gira gira ke marne lage (they beat me to the ground),” asserted the tehsildar.
A lekhpal, who came to his rescue, was also allegedly beaten up.
Senior officials reached the spot after the incident.
FIR lodged
Mr. Pathak, who defeated Dimple Yadav, the wife of the Samajwadi Party president, in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, is yet to comment on the allegations.
An FIR has been lodged against Mr. Pathak, three others and 20-25 unidentified persons on charges of assault, trespassing after preparation for hurt or assault and several other clauses of the IPC. The FIR also invoked relevant sections of the SC ST Act.
