'Machhli' Gang Aide Visited Me, Says NHRC Member Priyank Kanoongo

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a bid to stop ongoing investigations against them, a man allegedly connected to the notorious ‘Machhli’ family attempted to influence National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo. 

Taking to X (previously Twitter), Kanoongo said on Wednesday that Shariq Machhli used his associate, a property dealer named Jainendra Pathak, to reach out to him. 

Pathak allegedly visited Kanoongo at his official residence in Delhi earlier in the day, introducing himself as a resident of Madhya Pradesh and a business partner of Shariq.

Citing heavy financial losses, he urged Kanoongo to forgive Shariq. However, Kanoongo rebuked him and sent him away. Before leaving, Pathak allegedly left behind a box of sweets at the gate, which was seized by police after a complaint.

Kanoongo went on to clarify that Shariq is under probe for allegedly drugging and raping Hindu women, recording videos to blackmail them, and forcing their religious conversion to Islam. He is also accused of encroaching upon ponds traditionally reserved for the fishing rights of marginalised Hindu communities, such as Kevat and Manjhi. Kanoongo asserted that investigations would continue despite such pressure tactics.

Notably, Shariq is the uncle of jailed gangster DJ Yaseen Machhli, the kingpin of a drugs and firearms syndicate busted by the Bhopal Crime Branch. Authorities have also demolished illegal constructions of the Machhli family on encroached government land at AnantpuraKoktain two separate demolition drives.

Police have taken cognizance of the intimidation attempt, and further inquiry is underway.

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Collector gets demarcation report of Animal Husbandry land 

In the wake of the action against the notorious ‘Machhli’ family, the demarcation report of an Animal Husbandry land was submitted to Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh on Wednesday. 

The report, prepared by a team of three revenue inspectors and 11 patwaris, mentions large-scale encroachment on six acres of land belonging to the department in the AnantpuraKokta area.SDM Ravish Srivastava and Tehsildar Saurabh Verma presented the findings.

The Animal Husbandry department will soon issue notices to the identified encroachers. However, officials are tight-lipped and have not yet disclosed the full details of the report.

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Meanwhile, official sourcesclaimed that more than 40 buildings, 30 shops, a petrol pump, a school, and multiple residential colonies have been built illegally on the plot.

The largest encroachment was a private colony, comprising many residences. Even the municipal corporation was found occupying part of the land, and officials are considering offering alternate land to the department.

Members of the Machhli family face cases related to drugs and sexual assault. The administration demolished seven illegal structures linked to them on July 30 and August 21. 

Suspecting encroachment on its land, the Animal Husbandry department had requested the demarcation, which confirmed the violations. Around 20 people, including the Machhli family, were issued notices and asked to be present during the survey.