Uttarakhand Police Order Probe Into Lockdown Violation By UP MLA

The Uttarakhand Police on Tuesday ordered an investigation into another incident of lockdown violation by UP MLA Aman Mani Tripathi who was arrested along with 12 of his associates in Rishikesh a couple of days ago.

They were let off subsequently on personal bail bonds and allowed to leave for Uttar Pradesh.

State DG (Law and order) Ashok Kumar said it has been brought to his notice that the MLA jumped a police barrier in Chamoli district while going towards the Badrinath temple.

"I have asked the Chamoli SP to look into it. If it is found to be true, an additional case will be registered against the UP MLA," the officer said.

The MLA and his friends were arrested late on Sunday night while returning from Chamoli's Karnaprayag after being stopped by the authorities from proceeding to Badrinath.

A convoy of three cars carrying the MLA and his associates was first intercepted by policemen at a barrier in Gauchar on the way to Badrinath but the Nautanwa MLA produced a letter of permission purportedly issued by authorities in Dehradun and moved on.

The MLA had claimed that he was going to Badrinath to perform some rituals associated with the death of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's father, which was denied by the Uttar Pradesh government in a statement.

However, they were stopped again at a barrier in Karnaprayag by police and administrative officials, who told them that the portals of Badrinath temple were scheduled to open on May 15 and there was no point in letting them go further, Karnaprayag SDM Vaibhav Gupta had said.

The MLA got angry and argued with officials but they did not relent and forced the convoy to return, the officials said.

They were intercepted again at the Vyasi police outpost in Rishikesh as there were more than three persons in each car and all without masks in violation of lockdown curbs, Muni ki Reti police station in-charge RK Saklani said.

A case was registered against them under different sections of the IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, he had said.