E-Paper
Court in U.P.’s Basti issues NBW against Amarmani in 2001 kidnapping case
Former U.P. minister Amarmani Tripathi has been issued a non-bailable warrant in a 22-year-old kidnapping case. Two other accused have been declared absconding.
After going through the formal report submitted by Gorakhpur district jail superintendent RK Kushwaha regarding the release of former U.P. minister Amarmani Tripathi, chief judicial magistrate, MP/MLA court Basti, Pramod Giri on Monday (October 16) issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Tripathi in a 22-year-old kidnapping case and directed the Basti SP to produce him before the court on November 1.
The court also directed police officials to form a police team for arresting Tripathi besides declaring the two other accused in the case—Naini Sharma and Shivam—absconding. In 2001, a Class 6 student Rahul Gupta, the son of a businessman Dharmaraj Gupta, was kidnapped while on his way to a school in Basti district.
The Basti police found the boy at the Lucknow residence of Amarmani Tripathi, who was an MLA from Nautanwa seat in Maharajganj district then. His name came up as the accused in the case that was lodged by the police.
As per ASP Basti Dipendra Nath Chaudhari, the police were yet to receive the copy of the order and that the court’s order will be complied with. On August 24 this year, the state government had ordered the release of Tripathi and his wife Madhumani, who were serving life term in the murder case of poet Madhumani Shukla in Lucknow in 2003.
The couple were released from the Gorakhpur jail a day after. However, the couple have been undergoing treatment at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur since then.
On Monday, the MP/MLA court, Basti, also expressed displeasure over the lackadaisical attitude of police in taking action against the former minister in the 2001 kidnapping case. Despite repeated notices, Tripathi has avoided appearing before the court on the pretext of undergoing treatment at the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur.
The medical examination board that was constituted by chief medical officer, Gorakhpur, Dr Ashutosh Dubey following the directive of the court had submitted its report to the court on September 16. However the court was not duly informed that ailing Tripathi had been released from jail. Thus on September 16, the MP/MLA court directed the Gorakhpur jail officials to produce him before the court for hearing on October 16.
Health officials in their report said the former minister was suffering from depression and spondylitis along with multi organ problems. However, CJM, MP/MLA court, Basti, Pramod Giri had then observed that an accused could not be exempted from appearing the before court on the ground of depression.
