Lalanagar toll plaza case: Gyanpur MLA Vijay Mishra arrested in Madhya Pradesh

VARANASI: Vijay Mishra, MLA from Gyanpur in Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested at Agar in Malwa area of Madhya Pradesh on Friday morning.
Bhadohi SP RB Singh said that MP Police arrested Mishra on the request of Bhadohi police. A team of police has been sent to Agar to bring Mishra for trial of the case against him, said the SP adding that Mishra would be sent to jail.
On the complaint of Mishra's relative Krishna Mohan Tiwari, the police had lodged an FIR against Mishra, his wife and son at Gopiganj police station under Sections 325, 506,347, 387 and 449 of IPC on August 8.On July 18, the police had booked him under Goonda Act for allegedly issuing threats to a contractor at Lalanagar toll plaza on National Highway-2 in Aurai area.
According to police records, as many as 73 criminal cases have been lodged against Mishra in different districts of the state and 10 cases are being heard in MP/MLA court. Mishra is known as a 'muscleman' politician of east UP region. After winning Gyanpur seat for three consecutive times, including 2012 election which he contested from jail, he was denied ticket by Samajwadi Party in 2017 assembly polls. He contested on the Nishad Party ticket and emerged victorious for the fourth time. His wife Ramlali Mishra is also an MLC from Mirzapur-Sonbhadra.
On Wednesday, Mishra released a video claiming life threat for him and his family members. He also feared that he might be arrested or murdered any time. In the video message, he alleged that he along with his wife and son were being framed in false cases, and Gopiganj police has made it difficult for his family to stay in Gopiganj area. Attempting to play a Brahmin card, Mishra claimed that he was being targeted by police just for belonging to the Brahmin caste. However, Bhadohi police refuted his claim terming it as an attempt to divert attention of people from 73 criminal cases lodged against him.