Ex-IAS Officer Booked in UP Over Tweet on COVID-19 Testing

In his tweet, he had alleged that a top official of the UP government scolded other officials for testing more.

Retired IAS officer, Surya Pratap Singh

(Photo: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

The Uttar Pradesh Police booked a retired IAS officer, Surya Pratap Singh, on Thursday, 11 June, for a tweet in which he questioned the COVID-19 testing policy of the UP government.

In his tweet, he had alleged that a top official of CM Yogi Adityanath's government scolded the officials for testing more.

The case was registered with the Hazratganj police station on Thursday night on the complaint filed by Subhash Singh, police outpost in-charge, secretariat.

The complainant mentioned in the FIR that the former bureaucrat had posted some content, which is inaccurate and insulting to the government, reported news agency IANS.

Abhay Mishra, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Hazratganj, was quoted as saying, "The former IAS (officer) has been booked under various sections for disobeying the government order, crime committed with intent to cause fear or alarm to the public, conducting public mischief, statement intent to cause fear and alarm among the residents who may be induced to commit offence against the state and public tranquillity, disobeying public servant orders. Besides, a section of the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Disease Act have also been included [sic]."

Mishra also said that the Cyber Cell of the police will assist the Hazratganj police in the case, and relevant sections of the IT Act would be included after the probe.

Meanwhile, Surya Pratap Singh, a 1982 batch officer, in another tweet, said he will continue asking questions to the government.

According to NDTV, Singh retired in 2015 and his last posting was as principal secretary to the UP government.

(With inputs from IANS and NDTV.)