UP: Cash reward announced on absconding SP leader who broke Covid protocols; 6 cops suspended

Etawah (UP), Jun 7 (PTI) The Etawah Police has announced a cash reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to the arrest of absconding SP leader Dharmendra Yadav, wanted for flouting Covid protocols, officials said on Monday.

Six police personnel were suspended for laxity on Monday in wake of Yadav, the Samajwadi Party’s Yuvjan Sabha chief of Auraiyya, taking out a procession involving a cavalcade of four-wheelers after being released from the Etawah prison on Saturday. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media.

Yadav and 200 others have been booked under the Disaster Management Act for taking out the procession in violation of COVID-19 protocols, police said.

A case has been registered against the SP leader and 200 others at the Civil Lines Police Station here, SSP Etawah, Brijesh Kumar Singh.

Thirty-four people have been arrested and 24 cars have been seized but Yadav has so far evaded arrest and a cash reward is being announced for his arrest, the SSP said.

“Based on the probe by SP (city), SHO of Civil Line Om Prakash Pandey, LIU inspector Puneet Kumar Sharma, in-charge of Mahewa police outpost Vishnukant Tiwari, head constable (traffic) Yogesh Kumar and two traffic sepoys have been found guilty. They have been suspended," he said.

Circle Officer (city) Rajiv Pratap Singh has been transferred to Jaswantnagar, a police PRO said.

On Sunday, in-charge of the jail police outpost, sub-inspector Bhanupratap, was suspended for laxity in discharge of duty, he added. PTI COR NAV SAB RHL