Moradabad civic officials take possession of govt premises allotted to SP Naugawan Sadat MLA, say ‘15-year allotment period over’

The MLA alleged that action against him was initiated only after he visited the jail with the delegation. However, Moradabad Municipal Corporation officials stated that the action was taken because the allotment period of 15 years for the property had expired.

According to officials from the Moradabad Municipal Corporation, the ground floor of a house near Company Bagh was allotted to MLA Pal Singh in August 1994.

Officials stated that in September last year, a notice was issued to the MLA, directing him to vacate the premises within 15 days. As per municipal regulations, such allotments are valid for only 15 years, and the term for this property had expired long ago, resulting in the automatic cancellation of the allotment, they added.

The civic officials further mentioned that the first floor of the building was allotted to retired professor Dr L D Chaturvedi. He was also served a notice to vacate the premises, as the 15-year allotment period had similarly elapsed.

“The premises were allotted to them for a specific period, and after it expired, notices were issued directing them to vacate. However, they did not comply, which led to action being taken. Neither of them was using the property for personal purposes,” said Ajeet Kumar Singh, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Moradabad.

He further stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the MLA had used a portion of the house for business activities and ceased the operations after objections were raised.

The MLA’s associates were purportedly residing in the house, while the professor had locked his portion of the property.

“The allotment period is limited to 15 years, and once it ended, we asked them to vacate. Both were unauthorised to continue using the property,” Singh added.

When contacted, Pal Singh said the house was allotted to him in 1994 for a lifetime. “The allotment letter provided to me in 1994 does not mention any specific time period. In September, the Nagar Nigam issued a notice to me, after which I met with officials and showed them the allotment letter. They were satisfied with my explanation. However, suddenly, a team from the district administration forcibly vacated my house on Saturday. This government is acting deliberately against me,” claimed the MLA.

He also admitted to being part of the delegation that visited the jail to meet the accused involved in the Sambhal violence.

“I was using the house as my office, and my staff was residing there. Currently, I am out of station, and upon returning home, I will raise the matter with the administration,” said the MLA.

It is pertinent to note that the delegation that visited the Moradabad jail later claimed that almost all the accused had injury marks on their bodies. They alleged that before being sent to Moradabad jail, the arrested accused were kept in different police stations in Sambhal, and marks of police torture were still visible on their bodies.

The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government then sought a report from Moradabad District Magistrate Anuj Singh in this connection. The report was submitted within a day and the suspensions followed. The inquiry revealed that the SP delegation was allowed to meet inmates without following the Jail Manual which mandates giving slips to visitors.

Taking serious note of the matter, the UP government suspended three officials of the Moradabad jail including its jail superintendent, jailor, and deputy jailor.

The violence in Sambhal broke out on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Four people died and around 25 others, including police personnel, sustained injuries in the violence. Over 50 people have been arrested so far for their alleged role in the violence.