Of blaring DJ, dead chickens and politics

Times News Network

Lucknow: On April 25, 140 chickens died in Sultanpur allegedly due to high decibel DJ music played in a wedding procession that passed by a poultry farm. On the face of it, the unusual incident raised concerns at rising noise pollution levels and its impact on livestock. But in politically premier state like Uttar Pradesh, the incident now seems headed to take political overtones.

It’s police action that has come under the scanner, with the complainant and the accused crying foul – a charge denied by cops. Allegations are that the death of chickens was only a part of what happened on April 25. Before the chickens died, the DJ operator Kavi Yadav was thrashed by some locals who wanted him to play a particular ‘bulldozer’ song and one on Pakistan after baraat reached a pocket of the village dominated by minorities.

“When some people climbed up the DJ vehicle and thrashed Kavi Yadav, police were informed. Cops arrived and the two sides were first taken to the police outpost and thereafter to the police station where they spent the night,” said Kavi’s brother Ravi told TOI. “The next morning (April 26) the two sides were let off after they signed a compromise,” Ravi said.

In the meantime, the death of 140 chickens due to high decibel music came to the fore. The poultry farm owner, Sabir Ali, thereafter entered into a compromise after Kavi Yadav agreed to compensate the losses incurred. A total of Rs 10,000 was transferred to us online, Sabir confirmed to TOI. “Another Rs 5,000 was paid in the presence of police, and a compromise was reached in writing,” Ravi said. Thereafter both the sides returned home.

Hours later, at 2:32pm on April 26, an FIR was lodged at the Baldirai police station of the district under Sections 270, 325 and 15 of the BNS where Sabir Ali figured as the complainant and Kavi Yadav as accused. Both sides later claimed that the FIR was lodged after the compromise was reached in the presence of police. Finally, on April 30, a police team reached Kavi’s house and seized the DJ vehicle for playing music beyond permitted decibel limits.

ASP Sultanpur BN Singh dismissed the compromise claims. “Had that been the case, why would the police register an FIR? We have lodged a case after the postmortem concluded the chickens died of heart attack due to acute stress from high density noise,” Singh told TOI. He said police will file a chargesheet in the case.

The political link

Lucknow: Once SP chief Akhilesh Yadav learnt that despite the death of 140 chickens due to high decibel music farm owner Sabir Ali and DJ operator Kavi Yadav reached a compromise, he called the two to Lucknow to offer financial help. As the photograph of the meeting made it to the social media, Praveen Nishad, the second in command in Nishad Party -- a key ally of BJP accused Akhilesh of helping a Muslim (poultry farm owner) at the cost of a Yadav. There are allegations that SP rivals wanted to drive a wedge between the Yadavs and Muslims in the region.