Aligarh civic body seals house with family inside, boy misses school

Agra: A seven-year-old boy was getting ready for school and his mother preparing breakfast when Aligarh Municipal Corporation's tax recovery team arrived and sealed the house, trapping the family inside. Despite pleadings by the family and locals to at least allow the boy to attend classes, the hard-hearted civic officials refused to budge.According to locals, a civic body team led by assistant municipal commissioner Veer Singh reached Atish Baajan locality in Ward 71 of the city around 7 am and sealed the house of Afsar Ali to recover Rs 97,000 in pending property tax. At the time, all the family members were inside the house.A video of the incident, purportedly showing the family locked inside and appeals to officials by locals and the family, has been widely circulated on social media.Area councillor Abdul Muttalib Qureshi reached the place and requested the officials to temporarily remove the seal so that the family can come out and the boy can go to school, but to no avail. "Despite being told that an objection against the tax demand had been filed, the civic officials refused to relent," Qureshi alleged.The seal was removed after several hours when Ali managed to arrange Rs 10,000 and assured the authorities that the remaining amount would be paid in instalments. By then, the boy missed his school for the day.Assistant municipal commissioner Veer Singh said the sealing drive was part of a broader campaign to recover outstanding property tax from nearly 150 houses in Atish Baajan. "The sealing action was taken as there were tax arrears against Afsar Ali. The house has a back door, and the incident is being exaggerated," Singh said.