The Delhi Police has told a court here that AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, against whom a complaint has been filed for allegedly taking medical claim for his mother who was not dependent on him, has returned nearly Rs two lakh to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat.
Police, in its status report, told the court that Tripathi was interrogated and he stated that when he came to know that his father, being a pensioner, was not entitled for the medical claim, he wrote a letter to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat to know the rules and was asked to return the amount with interest, that is, Rs two lakh on September 16.
“It is further submitted that an inquiry report was sought from the Deputy Secretary, Legislative Branch, Delhi Vidhan Sabha office here in which he stated that ‘In this connection I am informing you that Akhilesh Tripathi has voluntarily returned the amount claimed by him for medical treatment of his mother, that is, Rs 1,72,763 along with interest of Rs 20,879 on September 16, 2015, with due permission of the Speaker.
“In view of the above, legislative treats the matter as closed and does not propose to take any further action in this regard,” the report filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Ambika Singh said.
The report filed by sub inspector Anand Singh of Civil Line Police Station said he shall abide by the directions/ orders passed by the court.
The court has fixed the case in December for hearing arguments in the matter.
The court was hearing a complaint filed by advocate and RTI activist Vivek Garg alleging that the MLA from Model Town constituency here committed an offence by getting his mother’s medical allowance worth over Rs five lakh reimbursed from Delhi government, despite his parents not being dependent on him and not entitled to the claims.
He said the MLA has accepted his crime by returning the money and now there is no need to lodge an FIR and would urge the court to directly put him on trial.
“Now the court should directly record pre-summoning evidence in the case as it would save court’s time,” he said.
In his complaint, Garg had sought registration of an FIR against Tripathi for alleged offences of cheating, criminal breach of trust by public servant, forgery for cheating and criminal conspiracy under the IPC.
( Source – PTI )
