By IANS,
Lucknow: A legislator of Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) made two government officials, allegedly demanding bribes in his constituency, confess their crime before the villagers and squat on their haunches while holding their ears to apologise. The legislator Friday justified his actions.
Mohammad Ghazi, who represents Afzalgarh in Bijnore district, also made the two officials return the bribe to the ten women who had paid them Rs.10,000 each for getting their names included in the list of beneficiaries for Indira Housing Scheme.
“Under the scheme, a poor Dalit was entitled to a free dwelling unit in his village but two village-level officers Ram Gopal Singh and Harpal Singh approached ten women villagers, whose names figured in the list of beneficiaries and demanded they shell out Rs.10,000 each,” Ghazi told IANS over telephone from Afzalgarh.
The officials had held back the letters of allotment of houses to these ten women, who made a complaint to the chief development officer when they did not receive their allotment orders.
After failing to get a response from him, they approached the legislator, who summoned both the complainants and the accused officials before him.
“After much cross-questioning, the officials confessed their crime before the village gathering earlier this week. They were made to hold their ears and sit on haunches,” the legislator said.
“They were let off after they called their family members to bring the money that was returned to the complainants,” he added.
Asked if it was fair and legitimate for anyone to adopt what seemed like tribal justice in modern times, Ghazi said: “I see nothing wrong with it. After all, the wrongful act has received instant punishment, while the wronged has got what was due to him.”