Team News Riveting
Lucknow, May 8
A newly-elected village head (gram Pradhan) and his five supporters were arrested in Amethi for promising ‘Naya Pakistan’ during a victory procession.
The accused had been identified as Imran Khan and was elected as gram pradhan from Mangra village in the Ramganj area of Amethi in the recently held panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. His accomplice arrested included Zabir Rehman, Maqsud, Ishtikhar, Aleem, and Shahrukh Khan. The police had also seized three sports bikes.
Imran Khan and his supporters took out a bike rally as part of the victory procession. A song ‘Dekho Imran Khan aaya, naya Pakistan laaya’ (Look Imran Khan has come, he has brought new Pakistan with him) was played in the rally.
A video of the song went viral on the internet and social media that prompted the District Magistrate of Amethi Arun Kumar to institute a probe. Following the probe report, the police on May 6 lodged an FIR against Imran and his supporters. They were arrested on May 7.
The elected public representative was also booked under epidemic act as the Election Commission had banned victory processions due to the COVID-19.
The footage from the CCTV cameras installed on the procession’s route also confirmed that the bike rally was taken out by the wining pradhan, the CO told TOI and said that the accused have been booked under the charges of speaking and circulating words against national integration (153-B) of the IPC, Epidemic Act, and negligent act likely to spread the deadly infection.
