Bareilly (UP), Dec 20 (PTI) A leader of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and his father were detained allegedly for bulldozing a labourer's hut here, police said on Tuesday.

A case has been registered against four people — BJYM mandal unit president Pradeep Yadav, his father, Dhyan Pal Singh, Rajveer, and Sanjeev Kumar. Fifteen other unknown persons have been booked in the case, police said.

Also Read | Twist in Tale: Telangana Girl Marries Boyfriend Who ‘Kidnapped’ Her in Rajanna Sircilla; Couple Release Video and Photos of Their Wedding.

Three people, including Yadav and his father, have been taken into custody, they said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has been using bulldozers to raze the ill-gotten property of criminals and mafias in the state, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath even feted by supporters as “Bulldozer Baba” during the assembly election earlier this year.

Also Read | Delhi LG V K Saxena Directs Chief Secretary To Recover Rs 97 Crore From AAP for 'Political Advertisements'.

According to police, Sitaram, a cart puller, had been living with his family since 2007 in a hut on Bisalpur road in Faridpur town.

It has been alleged that Pradeep Yadav was trying to forcibly evict the family from the hut and occupy the land, and Sitaram had even complained about the matter, which is sub judice in a local court, Circle Officer Gaurav Singh said.

Allegedly on Monday night, Pradeep Yadav and his associates reached Sitaram's hut with a bulldozer, beat up the entire family with sticks and rods, and razed his house with the bulldozer, the CO said.

The assailants also fired several rounds to scare the crowd and Sitaram's family, and allegedly molested Sitaram's daughter too, the CO said.

After some locals called them, police reached the spot and took Pradeep Yadav, his father Dhyan Pal, and Rajveer into custody. Their other associates decamped with the bulldozer, Singh said.

Police have booked the accused under charges for assault, molestation, and arson.

Sitaram told reporters that he had bought the land from one Bhagwandas and had built a hut on it.

He said he is supported in his income by the women of the house who manufacture and sell cow dung cakes, and he though drives a cart for a living, sometimes has to work as a labourer.

President of BJYM's Aonla unit Raju Upadhyay confirmed that Pradeep Yadav is the president of BJYM's Faridpur mandal unit.

The organisation will take action against him, Upadhyay added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)