Nainital High Court has rejected the bail plea of Gardarpur MlA Arvind Pandey on Wednesday in connection with the case of the MlA and his dozen followers physically assaulting Gadarpur Naib Tehsildar Sher Singh in Udham Singh Nagar on August 25. He is still elusive.
Further, the lower court had already issued a non- bailable warrant against MlA Pandey on August 28. Gadarpur police had on Tuesday pasted a legal notice on the house of the fugitive MlA.
It was announced earlier that the MlA along with his supporters would surrender to police at Parade Ground, Udham Singh Nagar on August 28. Udham Singh Nagar SSP Nilesh Anand Bharne subsequently had deployed additional forces in the Parade Ground and security was tightened there to ensure order, but MlA Pandey did not reach the place.
The MlA also allegedly intimidated several government officers in Bajpur area, warning them of dire consequences if he took any step against him. Around five cases have already been registered against MlA in Bajpur police station, a police officer added.
The local Congress workers had recently staged rally in Udham Singh Nagar, demanding arrest of the MlA Pandey over the case registered in Gardarpur Police Station.
Police said the fracas happened after Gadarpur Naib Tehsildar Sher Singh had reached a disputed piece of land measuring around two acres in Gadarpur to broker a solution among two brothers who are fighting over the possession of the land.
Sher Singh registered a complaint and a case under sections 147/148/149/332/395 and sections under SC/ST Act was subsequently registered against MlA Pandey and around five of his named supporters and around a dozen unknown supporters.
However, police have failed to arrest any of the named supporters against whom case has been registered in the police station.
Manish Upadhyay, Gardarpur police station in-charge said that teams have been formed and they are working hard to arrest the accused. The police have conducted raids at various places to nab MlA Pandey on Wednesday, but to no avail.
The MlA has gone underground since the time a case was registered against him along with his dozen followers, he said.
It will be interesting to see whether Pandey would surrender in the court. In case he does not police would impound his property, an officer said.