RANCHI: The residence of Yogendra Sao was demolished on Thursday in Jordag, under Keredari Block of Hazaribagh, in the presence of a heavy police force.
The action was taken following a long-standing dispute over land and compensation between NTPC and the former minister. Yogendra Sao, along with his wife Nirmala Devi, the former MLA of Barkagaon, had been staging a sit-in protest at their residence for several days, demanding an increase in the compensation amount offered for their land.
The house was demolished with the help of three excavators in the presence of the Keredari Circle Officer and NTPC officials. According to NTPC officials, the compensation amount for the land had already been finalised. After Yogendra Sao refused to accept the amount, it was deposited with the Tribunal Court.
Officials said that the expansion work of the Chatti Bariatu Coal Mining Project was being obstructed, which led the administration to take this step. They also stated that several attempts were made by the administration to resolve the issue through discussions, but no settlement could be reached. During this period, there were multiple confrontations between the administration and Yogendra Sao.
On Thursday, the house was demolished using three Poclain excavators in the presence of officials and under tight security, with a heavy police force deployed across the area to prevent any untoward incidents.
After the demolition, Yogendra Sao’s daughter, Amba Prasad, responded on social media, stating that the family would take legal action against the move. Terming the action as unjust, Amba said that she has full faith in the judiciary and will approach the courts in this matter to initiate legal action against the culprits.
Following the incident, the political atmosphere in the region has heated up.