Uttarakhand minister booked, 4 held for attacking cop

Four persons were arrested and nearly 150 people, including Uttarakhand minister Arvind Pandey, booked for allegedly attacking and abusing a police officer on duty in Udham Singh Nagar district in the state, police said Wednesday.

A total of 19 people were named accused in the case in connection with the ruckus created at Kundeshwari police chowki in Kashipur on Tuesday allegedly in the presence of state minister Pandey, Additional Superintendent of Police Kashipur, Jagdish Chandra, said on Wednesday.

Four persons were arrested and eight police teams are conducting searches at different places to nab the rest of the accused, Kashipur SHO Chanchal Sharma said, adding that more arrests will soon be made.

Pandey, Uttrakhand's Sports and Education Minister, is among the named accused in the case, Sharma said.

Asked whether Pandey would also be arrested, the official said action will be taken only after his role is investigated.

Kundeshwari police chowki in-charge Arjun Giri was abused and roughed up by people engaged in illegal mining allegedly in the presence of the minister on Tuesday forcing the official to shut himself in his office to save his life.

Angry with Giri for seizing their dumpers, they stormed the police chowki,called the minister and roughed up the official allegedly in front of him, Sharma said.