In a significant development highlighting administrative accountability, the Lucknow police took stern action on Tuesday in a high-profile encroachment case. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Sushant Golf City police station, Inspector Upendra Singh, was shunted to the police lines. Simultaneously, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Vinay Singh, a government gunner, and a former Member of Parliament from eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Root of the Controversy: A Wall on a Public Passage
The action was the culmination of a heated dispute in the Swastika City colony. The controversy erupted over the alleged construction of a wall that blocked a public passage, sparking protests from aggrieved residents. According to a written complaint submitted to the Lucknow Police Commissioner, Vinay Singh, who is also the husband of a Block Pramukh from Jaunpur, was accused of encroaching upon a common access road within the residential colony.
Residents alleged that Singh began constructing the wall not within the boundaries of his private plot but on a long-used internal road. When the locals objected to this obstruction of a public passage, the situation quickly escalated into a confrontation. In a bid to keep the road open, the residents reportedly dismantled the partially constructed wall.
Alleged One-Sided Police Action and Commissioner's Intervention
The controversy took a deeper turn when the local police, under SHO Upendra Singh, allegedly registered a criminal case against the residents for pulling down the wall. This move was perceived as one-sided, as no immediate action was taken on the original complaint of encroachment. Frustrated by this response, a delegation of Swastika City residents met directly with the Lucknow Police Commissioner to seek justice.
The Commissioner's intervention proved decisive. He ordered the immediate removal of Inspector Upendra Singh from his post and directed the registration of an FIR in the encroachment case. A senior police official stated that the SHO was removed for failing to handle the dispute impartially.
High-Level Inquiry Initiated Into Construction and Police Response
The fallout from the incident has led to broader scrutiny. The police have confirmed that a high-level inquiry has been initiated. This probe will investigate both the alleged illegal construction that sparked the dispute and the subsequent police response that initially favored the accused.
This case has put a spotlight on the challenges of urban encroachment and the role of law enforcement in such civil disputes. The swift action following the Commissioner's intervention signals a push for accountability and impartiality in the police force's dealings with the public.
