Cong MLA in Pondy booked for alleged violation of lockdown

A ruling Congress legislator in Puducherry has been booked for allegedly violating lokcdown rules and distributing dole to people at a village here, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said on Thursday.

In a WhatsApp message to mediapersons, she said a FIR had been registered against Congress MLA A John Kumar and more than 200 people for allegedly distributing doles to people outside his house in the neighbouring Nellithope on Wednesday.

The Orleanpet police also confirmed booking of the case against the MLA and others for allegedly violating the lockdown rules.

She said police had booked the legislator and the others under Disaster Management Act "for his highly irresponsible conduct of hosting and allowing over 200 people to collect outside his house and distributing doles personally."
The Lt Governor said "this was while lay people were being booked for curfew violations and being announced in the media. He is a serving MLA of the ruling party. A criminal case has been registered against him for blatant violations of law despite mass information and media messages instead of following the law he chose to violate it."