The Uttar Pradesh Government on Sunday shunted out the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Sonbhadra, besides ordering action against 13 other officials after they were indicted in an inquiry into the killing of 10 Gond tribals last month over a land dispute.
Addressing a press conference at his residence, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said FIRs have been registered against against 28 people in this matter. Twelve primary members of Adarsh Krishi Sahkari Samiti, Umbha, who are alive, will also be booked for grabbing gram sabha land.
The disputed land in Umbha and Saphi villages also be transferred back and registered in the name of gram sabha, he said, while announcing that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will look into the matter.
Adityanath said departmental proceedings have been initiated against Sonbhadra District Magistrate Ankit Kumar Agrawal and Superintendent of Police Salman Taj Patil for taking "one-sided decision" against the villagers.
Directives have been issued to attach Agrawal and Patil to the Department of Appointment and Personnel and the DGP Headquarters, respectively, he said.
S Ramalingam has been made the new District Magistrate of Sonbhadra, while Prabhakar Chaudhary is the new Superintendent of Police, officials said.
"The entire matter will be probed by an SIT. The SIT will be headed by DIG SIT J Ravindra Gaud, and will have Additional SP Amrita Mishra along with three inspectors. DG SIT R P Singh will be monitoring the work of the SIT," the Chief Minister said.
"Action has been initiated against eight gazetted officials, including the district magistrate, superintendent of police, additional SP, three circle officers, ARO co-operative and ARO (Revenue Department). Seven non-gazetted officials, including three inspectors, one SI, two head constables and one constable, will also be probed," he said.
He said another team will be set up under Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Renuka Kumar to look into the issue of land grabbing by "fake" societies in the last 60-70 years in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra.
"Fake societies in Sonbhadra and Mirzapur have grabbed more than one lakh acre of land. In 1972, then chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna had constituted a probe committee under Mangaldev Visharad. However, no action was taken as a number of Congress leaders were involved," Adityanath said.
"The Government has formed a six-member team which will probe into the land grabbed by fake societies in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra and then using it for their personal use. The probe report will be submitted in three months' time," he added. In July, 10 people were killed and 28 injured in the clash after a village headman and his supporters opened fire on a group of tribals over a land dispute.