Samajwadi Party Goons Thrash Toll Plaza Attendants. Legislator Looked On, Says Victim

Barabanki: Supporters of the ruling Samajwadi Party legislator Abhay Singh were caught on camera mercilessly thrashing toll plaza attendants in Barabanki district in broad daylight. The MLA, one of the attendants said, witnessed the incident from his Scorpio.

An FIR against three unknown people has been registered.

Mr Singh, the legislator from Gosainganj, was on his way to Lucknow on Friday, when his car had to stop at the toll plaza in Ahmadpur. One of the cars in his convoy, however, stopped in the wrong lane, following which an argument ensued.

Soon, more men arrived in three other vehicles and joined in and the matter escalated.

"They beat up our toll plaza attendant and a guard... we have footage of the entire incident. Our attendant is severely injured," said Kuldeep Singh, a toll booth employee.

In the closed-circuit television footage, a man is seen grabbing one of the toll booth employees while another beats him up with a stick. All this in full public view - other vehicles could be seen passing through the toll plaza without stopping.

The local police have refused to comment on the matter.

The ruling Samajwadi party has been repeatedly accused of failing to control lawlessness by its own workers - and sometimes its leaders.

In January, SP workers had assaulted a toll plaza attendant at the Raunahi on Lucknow-Faizabad national highway when they had been asked to pay the toll fee. Two days later, senior party leader Suresh Yadav, who was also caught on the CCTV footage thrashing the man, was arrested. (Akhilesh party man arrested...)

In August 2013, the Kasheli toll plaza along the Thane-Bhiwandi Road was vandalized and its staff were assaulted after the attendants had insisted that Samajwadi Party MLA Abdul Rashid pay toll fee. (Read more...)