Varanasi (UP): Thirteen of the 33 accused, who are in jail for raising pro-Pakistan slogans during a Muharram procession in Uttar Pardesh’s Jaunpur on July 29, have been slapped with a notice to cough up Rs 4 lakh for illegal possession of government land.
The notice issued by a tehsildar court, has also ordered them to remove their ‘encroachment’.
Jaunpur SDM Rajesh Chaurasia said that the investigation against the arrested 33 persons revealed that 13 of them had encroached upon the gram sabha (government) land in Kishundaspur village to construct a building.
The process of estimating loss was initiated against those 13 encroachers by the tehsildar concerned, said the SDM adding that the total loss of revenue due to this encroachment was estimated to be Rs 4 lakh.
As per the list, the amount of penalty of Rs 11,000 was proposed on Rafiq, Rs 49,500 on Mushtaq, Rs 66,000 on Mukhtar Ali, Rs 24,750 each on Sher Ali, Imtiyaz and Naseem, Rs 1,650 on Naseem, and Rs 99,000 each on Tiyaz, Salim and his brothers, said the SDM.
After completing assessment process and measuring of land, the notices were issued to all the 13 persons for removing their encroachment from gram sabha land and paying the penalty, he said adding the teams are being formed to initiate further action in this connection.
On July 29, a Muharram procession, taken out by people of Godhana Kisundaspur village, was heading towards a graveyard with Tajia.
As their procession was passing through a temple of Lord Shiva, a group of people taking part in the procession started shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan.
A video purportedly showing them raising this slogan went viral on social media after which the police swung into action.
A police team, led by Jaunpur SP Ajay Pal Sharma identified the accused and conducted raids for their arrest.
Sharma said 33 persons, including the above-mentioned 13 accused, were arrested on August 1 and sent to jail after being booked under various IPC sections for disturbing peace and communal amity.
–IANS