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ASI official among 3 booked for ‘threatening’ minority panel ex-chief

The complainant was threatened by two unidentified men who had barged into his house for approaching the authorities.

An FIR was registered at the Jagdishpura Police Station of Agra Circle under sections 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (threatening) and 61 (2) (Criminal Conspiracy) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. (Representative image)

The Agra Police on Monday booked a senior official with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and two unidentified men for allegedly insulting and threatening former chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Commission for Minorities, Ashfaq Saifi, officers said on Wednesday.

Police identified the ASI official as Dr Raj Kumar Patel, Superintending Archaeologist (Agra circle).

An FIR was registered at the Jagdishpura Police Station of Agra Circle under sections 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (threatening) and 61 (2) (Criminal Conspiracy) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Saifi, in his police complaint, said that last month, he complained against Patel to the officials of Archaeological Survey India, Delhi and other constitutional bodies. “Apparently angered by this, around 8 am on Monday, two unidentified men barged into my house and asked me to withdraw my complaint. They said that they were sent by Patel and threatened me by saying that if the complaint is not taken back, I will have to face the consequences,” claimed Saifi.

“I have learnt of the FIR,” Patel told The Indian Express on Wednesday. “I am a law-abiding person. The matter has to be investigated by the police. All I know is that I have not done anything wrong,” he said.

He added that on October 4, he served a defamation notice to Saifi, who he alleged made “derogatory remarks against my department and family in September.”

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More

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