An FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party Bareilly district treasurer Gaurav Jaiswal and his wife, mother and brother for alleged robbery and extortion.

Bareilly News: A local leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), along with three of his family members were booked by the police on charges of extortion and robbery in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. A senior police official said an FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party district treasurer Gaurav Jaiswal and his wife, mother and brother following a complaint against them.

“An FIR was registered against Gaurav Jaiswal and his wife, mother and brother was registered at Bithri Chainpur police station on Tuesday”, additional superintendent of police (city) Rahul Bhati said.

The officer said a complaint was filed against Jaiswal and his family members by wife of a local veterinarian on Monday. In her complaint, the woman alleged that the accused looted a gold chain and her mangalsutra (wedding necklace) at gunpoint while she was out for an evening walk outside her house on December 30.

She also alleged that the accused demanded extortion money of Rs 10,000 per month from her, the police said, adding that the families were involved in a legal tiff earlier as well.

On November 30, the veterinarian’s wife filed a complaint against the Samajwadi Party leader and his wife alleging that after taking their house on rent, the accused refused to vacate it and demanded Rs 20 lakh instead.

A charge sheet was filed in the case, but the accused were not arrested, a police officer said.

Samajwadi Party is headed by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. The SP is one of key regional parties in the Opposition INDIA bloc which hopes to wrest the BJP-led NDA government to return for a third term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The damning charges against a grassroots-level leader of the party could have serious implications for the Akhilesh-led party as well as its INDIA bloc partners in the run up to the General Elections.

(With PTI inputs)