Demolishing illegal properties built by criminals in Uttar Pradesh using a bulldozer has become the identity of the Yogi Adityanath government. In one such case, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation along with the district administration carried out a demolition drive against infamous gangster Mohammad Asif alias Pappu Smart and razed all his illegal properties to the ground.
According to the reports, Asif is one of the prominent gangsters in the state of Uttar Pradesh and several cases including that murder, loot, and extortion have been registered against him. The Kanpur Municipal Corporation rolled the bulldozer over the properties illegally owned by Asif, the video of which went viral over social media.
#WATCH | UP: Kanpur Municipal Corporation along with district administration carried out a demolition drive over the illegal properties of one Mohammad Asif alias Pappu Smart, says officials
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 21, 2022
Several cases including of murder, loot and extortion are registered against him. pic.twitter.com/nmIFNqj3sy
UP CM Yogi Adityanath after returning to power in March had first issued directives to the state administration to display zero-tolerance toward crime and criminals. He had asked the officials on April 8 to roll bulldozers against criminals and mafias and pull down all the illegal properties owned by them. However, he had asked the officials to stay away from the huts or shops of the poor. He had instructed the administration to have sensitivity toward the poor.
He had also said that quick action should be taken against those who occupy the property of the poor. “The order issued by the CM in such case would attract no police complaint”, he had assured. In the recent case also, it is reported that the demolition drive against gangster Asif was executed only after special orders were issued from the Chief Minister.
Later, the police administration and other departments identified three illegal properties of the gangster. The District Magistrate and other officers then held a meeting in this regard at the Police Commissioner’s residence and decided to execute the demolition drive on May 21. All the properties illegally owned by the gangster Asif were in the Chakeri police station area.
Illegal properties owned by criminals bulldozed by UP govt in recent past
Removal of illegal encroachments, and crackdown against criminals have been a highlight of the last 5 years of the Yogi government. In March 2022, CM Yogi’s government returned to power with a thumping mandate on the promise of robust law and order and corruption-free governance.
Recently, Bareilly Development Authority bulldozed and demolished an illegally constructed petrol pump of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Shahzil Islam on 7th April 2022. Also, the Uttar Pradesh government had ordered the demolition of illegal property owned by former SP MLA Roshan Lal Verma and had sent demolition notices to two other SP leaders Brijesh Prajapati and Dharam Singh Saini.
There have also been multiple cases where criminals have surrendered to police voluntarily fearing the bulldozer action. Some illegal property holders themselves have requested the government to demolish their properties. One such case appeared in Mitrapur Ehrola village under tehsil Shahabad of Rampur district when Ehsan Mian, a local citizen filed an application himself and appealed SDM Ashok Choudhary to demolish his own illegally built house fearing the action by the government.
According to the reports, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh Government has sent a strong message to criminals, gangsters, and mafia in the state, by seizing and demolishing properties worth Rs 980 crores under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities Act in the last 14 months. As per the data of the state government, properties worth Rs 834 crore were bulldozed and seized in 2020 and more worth Rs 117 crore were confiscated in the year 2021.
