Two booked under Gangsters Act for selling flood-prone land along Hindon river

Two land mafias, who sold flood-prone land along the Hindon river fraudulently showing it as residential space, were Friday booked under the stringent Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said.

They have been identified as Devendra Yadav and Satyendra Yadav, who live in Chipiyana Khurd Thori area of Greater Noida, the administration said.

"Both of the persons have duped several people of their money by selling them flood-prone land along the Hindon river by fraudulently showing it as residential land. By doing this, they also obstructed the natural flow of the river," the administration said in a statement.

District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh, based on a report by Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma, pressed charges under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, against the duo, an official statement said.

"The district administration is committed to ensuring continuous strict action against people of criminal nature. Therefore, similar action will be taken in the future against the mafia and criminals under the Gangsters Act and the Goonda Act, besides considering their expulsion from the district," Singh said.

The administration of the district, where law and order has been a major concern, had recently announced attaching properties and stopping financial transactions of nearly 600 people booked under the Gangsters Act since April this year in a major move to check crime.

The action has been taken under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and the Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, which provides special provisions for the prevention of, and for coping with, gangsters and anti-social activities and for connected matters.