‘Goonda tax’ not paid, MLA’s aides dig up 7-km road stretch in UP

A group claiming to be associates of a local MLA in Shahjahanpur, India, dug up and destroyed a 7km road after the contractor refused to pay a “goonda tax.” The contractor said that the MLA’s representative obstructed the construction and damaged public property. An inquiry has been initiated by the district magistrate. The local MLA denied the allegations, stating that the contractor used low-quality material and may have damaged the road themselves.