Kanpur Deaths: Letter petition in Allahabad HC seeks court-monitored CBI probe

A letter petition has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into the death of a woman and her daughter during an anti-encroachment drive in Kanpur Dehat on February 13.

The petition is addressed to the chief justice of the Allahabad high court.

It has also sought action against all the officers present on the spot and compensation to the family of the deceased.

The letter petition has been filed by 'Swadesh and Prayag Legal Aid Clinic' through its president Ram Prakash Dwivedi.

A woman and her daughter were allegedly burnt alive at Madauli village of Kanpur Dehat district on February 13 during a demolition drive launched against illegal encroachment on gram sabha land.

In the petition, the counsel for the petitioner Gaurav Dwivedi has asserted that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had issued a statement that no poor person would be targeted during anti-encroachment drives launched against the land mafia.

Further, if such persons are not in possession of land, they will be rehabilitated by the administration which will provide them shelter and relocate them to safer places.

In view of this, the petitioner has requested the high court to treat the letter petition as public interest litigation (PIL) and also take suo motu cognizance against the respondents for what the petitioner calls their "shameful and inhuman acts", which ultimately led to the death of a woman and her daughter.