FIR against Pappu Yadav and supporters for violating Covid-19 rules

Pappu Yadav and his supporters were booked under the Disaster Management Act 2005 and Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Gaya, Bihar.

Bihar politician and Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was booked for alleged violation of Covid-19 guidelines and disaster management rules in Gaya late Monday night. Yadav claims he was at the hospital to take “stock of the facilities” for treatment of Covid patients.

Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) president Pappu Yadav has been critical of Bihar government’s handling of Covid-19 pandemic.

The former MP was booked for “forcibly” visiting the Covid-19 wards at Magadh Medical College Hospital in Gaya and not wearing a personal protection equipment (PPE) kit during the rounds. The FIR adds that Yadav and his supporters didn’t listen to hospital staff and guards who were trying to stop them.

Yadav and his supporters were booked at the city’s Medical police station under the Disaster Management Act 2005 and Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after a complaint was filed by Dr P K Agarwal, the superintendent of Magadh Medical College Hospital, said Abhishek Singh, Gaya’s district magistrate (DM).

Yadav said he has been visiting several hospitals across the state to help patients with admission and to check the status of oxygen supplies. Earlier on May 2, he was stopped outside Ara Sadar Hospital in Bhojpur district citing Section 144.

“The condition of govt hospitals is very bad. There is no cleanliness in the Red Zone. Attendants are forced to sleep on the ground. What have Nitish Kumar and Mangal Pandey done for so many days?” Yadav said.

He alleged that the state government was trying to hide its shortcomings. “Private hospitals are minting money as government hospitals have failed to provide quality treatment to the common man,” he said.

Supporting Yadav's claims, a Patna resident said Yadav was at least visible in the midst of suffering people and was speaking for them, when no other politician was visible anywhere. "Hospitals are not admitting patients. Where will people go? Despite his own health issues, he is helping people he doesn’t know and who may never have voted for him,” said Surendra Prasad. Prasad said Yadav helped his patient get admission in a hospital.

Another Patna resident, Kumari Manisha, whose relative is admitted in a private hospital in the city said, “I got Remdesivir from Yadav. The medicine is available in black market at a very high price, but the former MP gave it to me for free."

Meanwhile, the district police chiefs across Bihar have been asked to ensure effective implementation of Covid-19 related restrictions.

Bihar recorded 11,407 new Covid infections on Monday to go past the five lakh-mark. 82 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 2821 in the state, health department bulletin said. Patna with 11,407 new cases and Gaya with 662 cases are among the worst hit districts in the state.