Lucknow, Jul 24 (IANS): The massacre of 10 people in Umbha village of the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh on July 17 has taken a new turn. A letter written by an MLA to the Chief Minister forewarning the state government of the incident went viral on social media on Tuesday.

Hariram Chero, the Apna Dal MLA, in his January 14 letter had alerted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the land dispute and simmering tension due to that.

The MLA told IANS he had written how the land mafia was encroaching tribal land and harassing tribals by framing them in fake cases. "I had also written about the 600 bigha land being encroached upon in the name of a fake society," he said.

Under the pressure from land mafia, the policemen and the PAC personnel would often torture tribals and sexually harass their women, the Apna Dal MLA alleged.

The legislator had also sought a high-level probe into the matter and action against culprits. But the authorities did not take any action, which could have prevented the massacre.

Though the issue did not belong to his constituency, the people had approached him with their grievances during a "chaupal" where the Tehsildar was also present, Chero said. "I am from the caste to which the deceased belonged. The tribals are growing crops on the 'gramsabha' land since the Independence," he said.

The Apna Dal is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party.