Lucknow: An MP/MLA court in Basti district of UP issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against former state cabinet minister Amarmani Tripathi in a 22-year-old abduction case. Tripathi is an accused in the abduction of the son of a businessman, Dharmraj Gupta, in Basti in 2001.
The court also directed Basti superintendent of police to constitute a special team to arrest Tripathi and produce him before the court on November 1.
Tripathi was released from jail on August 25, 2023, on the orders of the Uttar Pradesh Prison Administration and Reforms. However, he did not appear before the court on October 16, despite his release.
The court had earlier directed the chief medical officer of Gorakhpur to constitute a medical board to examine Tripathi, who is receiving treatment at the BRD Medical College.
In its report, the five-member medical board stated that Tripathi was suffering from depression and his treatment should be done in accordance with the instructions of the State Medical Council, UP.
However, the court said that an accused could not be exempted from appearing before the court on this ground. The court also declared Tripathi’s associates Nainish and Shivam Kumar as absconders.
Tripathi and his wife Madhumani, who were serving a life sentence for the 2003 murder of poetess Madhumita Shukla, were released on remission in August this year.
On December 6, 2001, Dharmraj’s son Rahul Madhesia was abducted while he was going to school. An FIR was lodged in Basti Kotwali in this connection. Seven days later, Rahul was recovered by STF from a house in Lucknow.
“The former minister and seven others were sent to jail in the case,” a senior police officer said. “Out of the eight accused, Amarmani, Shivam and Nainish are out. Five others are in jail,” he added.
