Pratapgarh, January 14: In a seemingly bizarre request, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh has sought permission to hurl abuses at a newspaper for "two hours". The man made the request after an article in the newspaper alleged his involvement in land grabbing.

In a letter addressed to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Prateek Sinha said that he wanted to be allowed for two hours outside the newspaper office with a mic. He was referred to as a "land mafia" in a news article published in the newspaper, and thus he expressed his eagerness to hurl abuses after having sent them a defamation notice. Theft Caught on Camera in Meerut: Thief Steals Idol From Temple in Uttar Pradesh, Police Launch Probe After Video Surfaces

In the letter to the authorities, Sinha mentioned that a bulldozer action was taken on his land on January 9 "without any reason". Following this, as per the letter, the newspaper called him "a mafia". He has alleged that the piece in the newspaper lacked evidence and defamed his reputation. "In opposition to the same (article), I seek permission for January 15 at 12:00 p.m. to abuse the bureau chief and the reporter for two hours," the letter read. Uttar Pradesh Lifts and Escalators Bill 2024: Here’s Why Highly-Anticipated Lift Law by Yogi Adityanath-led Government is Likely to be Ineffective

Interestingly, in the request letter, the person took a moment to clarify that he would not resort to violence or threats. He said, "And, I want to assure you (the SDM) that despite great urge, the applicant will not thrash them (newspaper agency) with shoes or threaten them." There was no comment on the request from the concerned officials.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 14, 2024 08:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).