Deputy Mayor Jammu among 3 BJP leaders booked for violating govt orders

Jammu: Three BJP leaders including Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Deputy Mayor Purnima Sharma and a former MLA were booked on Saturday for allegedly violating prohibitory orders issued as part of the lockdown enforcement in view of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

The FIR was registered against Sharma, former MLA Rajesh Gupta and JMC Corporator Sandhya Gupta under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the city police station, the officials said.

The action against the BJP leaders was taken after they visited Hari Theatre near Raghunath Bazar to distribute relief materials among several hundred people staying there, they said.

The officials said the leaders did not follow the guidelines on social distancing while carrying out the relief work, causing hardships to the policemen to maintain order.

When contacted, the deputy mayor expressed surprise over the registration of the First Information Report (FIR) and said she was outside the venue and had no idea what happened inside.

PTI