MLA’s brother ‘manhandles’ engineer: Cops yet to lodge FIR

Meanwhile,Uttar Pradesh Engineers’ Association president,A A Farooqui,along with his colleagues,met principal secretaries (Home and Irrigation) and demanded action in the matter.

Prasad was posted as superintending engineer with the Irrigation department in Ballia until he was promoted as chief engineer a few days ago. On Tuesday,he went to Ballia to hand over charge to his successor. In the evening,he received a call on his cellphone from a person who identified himself as BSP legislator Subhash Yadav. The caller asked him to follow diktats of his brother or face the music.

Farooqui said that around 6 pm,the MLA’s brother,Anand Bihari,reached Prasad’s residence along with three men and started hurling expletives. When the engineer objected,Bihari allegedly assaulted him and left the place issuing threats to his life. Bihari wanted the engineer to cancel certain tenders and allot these to him.

According to Farooqui,Prasad’s complaint had been sent to the DGP as well. Though both the DGP and Principal Secretary (Home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur has assured action,even an FIR has not been lodged,he added.

The MLA,however,denied the allegations against him. As for his brother,he said: “My brother is a contractor and if there was any issue,it was between him and the engineer. I am currently in Dumariyaganj and busy campaigning for the party candidate in the by-election.”

Yadav is a MLA from Ballia’s Dwaba constituency.