A case under the Prevention of Atrocities on SC/ST Act was registered against BSP leader last night for allegedly beating up a Dalit and humiliating him publicly at the party office in Civil Lines police station area of Rampur district on June 22. The accused,Yusuf Ali Khan,is the BSP candidate from Chamrawwa Assembly constituency. Bhukan Lal,the complainant,said that an inquiry had found the BSP leader guilty and the report was handed over to the Rampur Superintendent of Police (SP) a month ago,but the FIR was lodged yesterday. Superintendent of Police Bhanu Bhaskar,however,said that the report was completed and handed over to him recently. Lal said that the incident was sequel to a matter related to the cancellation of the licence of his cousin Ashrafis fair price shop in March. Khan had got the licenced cancelled by Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tanda Ram Singh,as he wanted it to be allotted to one of his relatives. Lal had then filed an application before the Moradabad Commissioner,seeking his intervention into the matter. The commissioner later issued an order in Asharfis favour. Lal said he went to the SDM and apprised him of the commissioners order,but the SDM refused to let them open the shop till the BSP leader gave permission for it. The SDM even asked him to meet Khan and convince him,Lal alleged. According to Lal,he went to the BSP district unit office on June 22 and requested Khan to tell the SDM that he had no objection over the commissioners order. But the BSP leader lost his temper and beat him mercilessly,and humiliated him by making derogatory references to his caste in presence of the party workers,Lal alleged. Later,Lal met the then SP Ramit Sharma,who ordered an inquiry into the incident. The circle officer (City) conducted an inquiry and submitted his report last month. The BSP leader,meanwhile,said that charges against him were baseless. Bhukan Lal had lodged a false complaint at the instance of my political rivals, he said.
