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Kidnapping Case: Court rebukes police over Amarmani’s no-show at hearing
ASP Basti Dipendra Nath remains confident that the accused will be arrested as police teams maintain a close vigil around his residence and other potential locations.
GORAKHPUR Former minister Amarmani Tripathi once again failed to appear before the court. Despite the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him in a 22-year-old kidnapping case, authorities in Basti have been unable to trace and arrest him.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Basti, Promod Giri, chastised the police officers for “laxity” in their pursuit of Tripathi. The CJM not only rejected an application from Tripathi’s advocate seeking to revoke the non-bailable warrant but also issued a directive to confiscate his properties. This action report is expected to be submitted before the court on November 16th.
The court’s stance could spell fresh trouble for the former minister, with the possibility of a judicial arrest looming over him. In a prior hearing on October 17th, the court had already issued the non-bailable warrant, instructing the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Basti to assemble a team for Tripathi’s arrest and subsequent court appearance on November 1st.
Assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Basti, Dipendra Nath, reported that in accordance with the court’s orders, police teams were formed and carried out raids at Tripathi’s residence in Humayunpur, Gorakhpur. However, Tripathi was not found at his residence.
It is worth noting that Amarmani Tripathi and his wife, Madhumani Tripathi, were released prematurely in connection with the 2003 Madhumita Shukla murder case on August 25th, 2023. They claimed to be receiving medical treatment at a private ward in BRD Medical College, using health issues as a reason to avoid court appearances.
In response to a directive from the MP MLA Court in Basti, Chief Medical Officer of Gorakhpur, Dr Ashutosh Dubey, formed a medical examination board to assess Tripathi’s health. However, Tripathi did not appear before the board. The board’s report cited severe depression and spondylitis as health issues, but the court rejected this as a valid reason for the accused to be exempted from appearing in court.
Officials at BRD Medical College have remained tight-lipped about the situation, while Tripathi’s personal guards reportedly closely monitor all developments.
The roots of this legal battle date back to December 2001 when a schoolboy, Rahul Gupta, the son of Dharam Raj Gupta, was kidnapped in Gandhi Nagar, Basti, while on his way to school. He was later found in Tripathi’s residence in Lucknow, during Tripathi’s tenure as a Member of the Assembly. Subsequently, the police registered a case against Amarmani Tripathi and others.
ASP Basti Dipendra Nath remains confident that the accused will be arrested as police teams maintain a close vigil around his residence and other potential locations. The legal proceedings continue to unfold as Tripathi’s legal challenges intensify.
