Lucknow: After traders, the Chief Minister Yogij Adityanath has issued directives to withdraw over 2.5 lakh cases lodged against people for violating Covid-19 lockdown.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has issued an order in this regard on Saturday directing the senior district and police officials to begin the process for withdrawing cases lodged against more than 2.5 people for violating lockdown norms during Covid-19 pandemic.
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to order for the withdrawal of cases. Earlier, Law Minister Brijesh Pathak had issued notification for withdrawal of such cases against traders and businessmen. Over 1 lakh traders were booked for lockdown violations.
The UP Government’s order will give reprieve to those who were booked for minor offenses during lockdown. As per data collected by the Law department, over 2.5 lakh such cases are pending for investigation and filing of charge sheets. “The number may go up as data from few districts are yet to be received,” said a senior bureaucrat.
The senior officer said that the decision of the state government will not only give a big relief to the people facing such cases but also bring down the number of pending cases and save time for the law enforcing machinery in the investigation, filing charge sheets and then pursuing the case in courts.
The government took the decision after complaints from traders and people alleging harassment at the hands of the police after cases were lodged against them. Many of them went out in emergency situations to buy medicines, groceries, etc.
But the state government has warned the habitual offenders not to repeat such acts in future or else they will face trial. “We appeal to people to follow the rule of law during such exigencies as happened during Covid 19 pandemic in the form of lockdown. The government had declared lockdown in the interest of the people to save their lives. Any violation in such times could wreak havoc,” said Brijesh Pathak, the State Law Minister.
