On Monday, February 13, reports emerged that 45-year-old Pramila Dikshit and her 20-year-old daughter Neha immolated themselves during the demolition drive in their village Madauli under the Rura Police Station area, district Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
It was reported that when the district administration, revenue officials, and police came to the village to remove encroachment on ‘Gram Samaj’ land, Pramila repeatedly warned the officials to back off or else she would take the extreme step. However, when the police and administration did not pay heed and continued the demolition drive, Pramila and her daughter Neha set themselves on fire.
Son of deceased Pramila accuses SDM and Lekhpal of ordering authorities to set their house on fire
Though the district police initially claimed that the women set themselves on fire, the case has now taken a completely different turn. The family of the deceased has alleged that it was not a case of suicide as portrayed by the administration but a cold-blooded murder. The deceased’s family said that the duo did not set themselves on fire, but rather the SDM directed Lekhpal to set fire to their hut.
Janeyucide in Kanpur : See how police is doing nothing to the kaccha house which caught fire. Instead of putting water, they continue to bulldoze the kaccha house of a Brahmin family. Two were unable to escape and were burnt alive to death. Now, how police can hide their faces? pic.twitter.com/xqtTSRxkrz
— Shubham Sharma (@Shubham_fd) February 13, 2023
The son, Shivam Dixit, said that as the fire set by the administration intensified, the roof of the hut made of wooden logs collapsed and his mother and sister got trapped beneath it. While he and his father, Krishna Gopal Dixit, managed to escape, Pramila Dikshit and her daughter Neha could not escape and were burnt to death. 22 goats were also burnt in the inferno.
कानपुर देहात के रूरा के मंडोली गांव में पुलिस और प्रशासन की टीमें अतिक्रमण हटाने पहुंची थीं। आरोप है कि एक झोपड़ी को हटाने की बात हुई तो मां-बेटी ने अंदर से गेट बंदकर खुद को आग लगा ली। दोनों की मौत। #Kanpur #Encroachment @NBTLucknow pic.twitter.com/sdZAjBU0WT
— Praveen Mohta (@MohtaPraveenn) February 13, 2023
In a video that has been doing the rounds on social media, Shivam Dixit can be heard accusing Vishal Dixit, Gaurav Dixit, and Ashok Dixit as the prime accused. He bemoans that the trio, in connivance with district officials set his hut on fire.
आग से बच निकले शिवम दीक्षित गंभीर आरोप लगा रहे हैं। #Kanpur #Encroachment @NBTLucknow pic.twitter.com/D9UulU2ll7
— Praveen Mohta (@MohtaPraveenn) February 13, 2023
According to Shivam, the officials informed him that Ashok Dixit had complained about the encroachment to the officials. The complaint, filed by Shivam, also named Vishal Dixit and Gaurav Dixit as co-accused. Along with them, 1012 other people are accused of being present at the location when the house was burned down and bulldozed.
According to Shivam’s FIR, on January 14, the SDM Janeshwar Prasad, Lekhpal Ashok Singh, Tehsildar, 12-15 police officers, and a JCB arrived at Krishna Gopal Dixit’s pucca house, where the family had been living for decades, on the basis of a complaint filed by one Ashok Dixit that the house was built on encroached land. Shivam went on to say that he had not received any prior information from the authorities advising him of the situation.
Shivam’s family contested the authorities’ arbitrary action against their pucca house. Facing protests, the authorities could only remove some construction. They returned warning Shivam and his family to vacate the area in the next 3-5 days.
Police charged Gopal Krishna’s family with rioting
Shivam stated that he went to the District Magistrate (DM) and Additional District Magistrate (ADM) offices on the same day to file a complaint, but no one listened to his request. Instead, the following day, authorities charged eight members of Gopal Krishna’s family, including Pramila and Shivam, with rioting. The cops drove them away by threatening to imprison them if they did not withdraw their complaint.
Since they were now rendered homeless, Shivam and his father constructed a kutcha house in the Madauli village and started living there. The family alleged that Lekhpal Ashok Singh once again approached them and demanded Rs 5,000. When the family refused to pay, the Lekhpal along with Maitha SDM Janeshwar Prasad and Rura police station SHO Dinesh Kumar Gautam reached their hut on February 13 at 3 pm with a JCB to demolish it. Ashok Dikshit, Anil Dikshit, and Nirmal Dikshit were also present at the scene.
Shivam went on to say that he and his family were resting inside the house and that 22 goats were also tied inside when the authorities proceeded to run a bulldozer over it without alerting them. He added that the enraged SDM demanded that Lekhpal set fire to their hut and the Lekhpal warned them that no one would be spared.
Police thrashed Shivam after he survived the fire
Shivam added that after he somehow managed to escape the blazing hut, SHO Dinesh Gautam and the police constables severely beat him up.
He added that his father Krishna Gopal Dixit also managed to escape the fire but got multiple burn injuries all over his body. It may be recalled that a picture of Krishna Gopal Dixit is viral on social media in which he was seen injured with cut marks on his face and forehead.
इस ग़रीब आदमी का गुनाह क्या था ???? कोई बताएगा ??? pic.twitter.com/BH9VMa64ub
— Yogita Bhayana योगिता भयाना (@yogitabhayana) February 14, 2023
Meanwhile, Shivam’s mother Pramila, and sister Neha got trapped beneath the wooden roof that fell over them as a result of the fire.
Authorities fled the scene after the tragedy
Shivam recalled that the authorities fled the scene leaving his mother and sister to die in the fire. “They started the fire while people were still inside. We were just about able to escape. They broke our temple. Nobody did anything, not even the district magistrate. Everybody ran, nobody could save my mother,” said Pramila’s son Shivam Dixit, adding that when the fire was doused and they went inside, they only found the charred bodies of his mother and sister.
Notably, Krishna Gopal Dixit also attested to what his son said accusing the SDM, Tehsildar, and the Lekhpal for the fire that took the lives of his wife and daughter. He also complained that they haven’t received any sort of help from the administration. “In fact, they ran away after setting our house on fire,” alleged Krishna Gopal Dixit.
आग में झुलसे गोपाल कृष्ण दीक्षित का दावा है कि आग लगाई गई। अधिकारियों ने सुनवाई नहीं की। #Kanpur #Encroachment @NBTLucknow pic.twitter.com/Ho2PzhZm8e
— Praveen Mohta (@MohtaPraveenn) February 13, 2023
The victim’s family has demanded strict action against the authorities. They have also demanded land and government jobs along with Rs 1 crore each for the two brothers as compensation.
Yogi Govt initiates action against the SDM, Lekhpal, and police officials over the deaths
After the incident came to the fore, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government initiated action against the SDM, Lekhpal, and police officials over the two deaths.
An FIR under Sections 302, 307, 436, 429, 323, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at Rura Police Station, district Kanpur Dehat against Ashok Dikshit, Anil Dikshit, Nirmal Dikshit, Vishal, JCB driver Deepak, SDM Maitha Gyaneshwar Kanoongo, Lekhpal Ashok Singh, SO Dinesh Kumar, 10-12 unnamed, and 12-15 police officials.
As per the latest reports, the driver of the JCB, the Lekhpal, and the SDM has been arrested in the case.
