K N Tripathi FIR: Former Congress Minister Accused Of Slapping Bodyguards, Hurling Casteist Abuse

Two bodyguards of former cabinet minister and Congress leader Krishna Nand Tripathi have lodged a police complaint alleging that Tripathi slapped them and hurled casteist abuses after they failed to clear a traffic jam in Latehar district on Tuesday.

The complainants, a tribal and a Dalit, filed a ‘Zero FIR’ on Wednesday at Medininagar Town police station. According to PTI, the FIR has been transferred to the Latehar police station for further investigation.

Medininagar Town police station officer-in-charge, Jyoti Lal Rajwar, told PTI, “As per the complaint, the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Latehar district when the Congress leader was stuck in a traffic jam at Jubilee Chowk. We have transferred the FIR to the Latehar police station for further action.”

Police said the case has been registered under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

Tripathi, a former rural development and panchayati raj minister, denied the allegations, claiming the FIR was lodged in retaliation. “I just asked my bodyguards to be more vigilant, and got the road cleared on my own in a few minutes. I did not beat or abuse anyone. Everything is captured in the CCTV,” he told PTI. He added that the bodyguards felt insulted after he managed to clear the traffic quickly, prompting them to file the complaint.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Police Men’s Association has written to DGP Anurag Gupta, urging strict action against Tripathi. “In the complaint, both the bodyguards mentioned they were trying to clear the traffic jam. However, the leader, in an infuriated condition, slapped them while hurling casteist abuses for failing to clear the snarl. It is an insult to the entire police fraternity. We want strong action against the Congress leader,” Karna Kumar Singh, the association’s regional president, said, according to PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)