BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Singh. Telegraph picture

Muzaffarpur, June 12: Paroo BJP legislator Ashok Kumar Singh has landed in trouble. He and his two younger brothers have been accused of intimidating and torching the house of one Sunil Kumar of Chitri village under Saraiya police station on Saturday night.

Kumar became an eyesore of the BJP MLA because his wife Gayatri Devi had contested in the recently concluded panchayat election unsuccessfully against Usha Singh, the wife of the BJP MLA. Usha won the election by a narrow margin in the Rajarampur panchayat constituency.

Kumar, however, earned the wrath of the BJP MLA for daring to allow his wife fight the election against Usha.

Sources said the BJP MLA with his two younger brothers Munna Singh and Manoj Singh raided the house of Kumar in Chitri village last night and allegedly set it on fire.

The BJP MLA and his supporters were allegedly locked in a heated exchange of words with Kumar and some of his supporters even got into a scuffle with Kumar in the presence of the MLA.

Singh’s supporters threatened Kumar. Kumar has submitted a petition to the station house officer (SHO) of Saraiya police station, Anirudh Prasad, against the MLA.

Kumar in his petition stated that he and his family members apprehended threat to life from the BJP MLA and his henchmen, who frequently threatened him with dire consequences for allowing his wife to contest panchayat election against the legislator’s wife.

Prasad said: “The police team visited Chirti village last night after the incident of scuffle and the subsequent torching of Kumar’s house.”

The SHO said police found debris of the thatched house and bamboo sticks at the spot.

Villagers remained tight-lipped over the involvement of the BJP MLA and his aides in the incident of fire.

When contacted, the BJP MLA representing Paroo for the second consecutive term said he had neither torched Kumar’s house nor threatened anyone.

He said: “Kumar is trying to defame me. I am not aware of the petition filed by him against me.”

The deputy superintendent of police (west), Anuj Kumar, said: “The petition filed by Kumar is being investigated.”

He added: “The SHO has been directed to probe the incident and submit a report within 24 hours.”