The Uttar Pradesh police on Tuesday seized properties worth more than Rs 7 crore belonging to jailed Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki and his younger brother Rizwan in Kanpur under the UP Gangsters Act, officials said.
In the coming days, more properties of the Sisamau MLA will be seized, they said.
"We have seized four plots each having an area of 163 square metres worth over Rs 7 crore belonging to SP MLA Irfan Solanki and his younger brother Rizwan, both currently lodged in different jails, in connection with several cases and under the UP Gangsters Act," said Station House Officer, Pheelkhana, Sunil Kumar Singh.
Solanki allegedly acquired the plots from the Kanpur Development Authority during the SP regime using his political influence, Singh told PTI.
It has been decided that a plot in Ghaziabad and a flat in Noida belonging to the SP MLA will also be seized in the coming days, he added.
The SHO said around three dozen properties of Solanki, his brother and associates, including builder Shauqat alias Pahelwan, history-sheeter Mohammad Ejaz alias Ajjan, corporator Mannu Rahman, former corporator Mohammad Mursaleen alias Bholu, Mohammad Shareef and Israel alias Hatewala (all of whom are in jail), have been identified.
The properties identified in Jajmau, Chakeri, Chamanganj, Beckonganj, Gwaltoli and Civil Lines, which have been amassed through illegal means, have an estimated value of Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore, Singh said.
Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said, "We sought help from the Kanpur Development Authority and the Kanpur Municipal Corporation to find details of the properties belonging to the SP MLA and his gang members."
The process of confiscation of properties belonging to Solanki, Shauqat and others began on February 10 when police seized the Hilal Compound, which houses 27 flats, worth Rs 20 crore in Jajmau under the UP Gangsters Act, he said.
The next day, the police seized another under-construction apartment worth about Rs 7 crore in Machliwala Hata in Gwaltoli area which belonged to Shauqat.
More properties owned by Solanki, his family members, Shauqat and other gang members will be seized in the coming days, JCP Tiwari told PTI.
Solanki and Rizwan are in prison since December 2 last year for allegedly harassing a woman and setting her house on fire in a bid to grab her plot on November 7.
They surrendered before the police commissioner after they were booked for rioting and arson.
A four-time MLA, Solanki is currently lodged in Maharajganj jail.
