Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, his two sons, and party MP Manoj Tiwari were booked by the Jharkhand Police on Thursday, 1 September, for allegedly taking clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) for take-off from Deoghar airport on 31 August in a forceful manner, even as there is no night take-off or landing facility at the airport.
The director of the airport is also among the nine people who have been booked in the case.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police booked Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri, who had got into a spat with Dubey over the matter, under Section 124 (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The FIR was registered at Kunda police station, on the complaint of security in-charge Suman Anand, who stated that the accused persons violated safety standards by entering the ATC room. According to the complainant’s statement, the time of sunset on the day of the incident was 6:03 pm, while the chartered flight took off at 6:17 pm.
Anand alleged that the accused had pressurised the officials for clearance to take off, news agency ANI cited the police as saying.
The nine persons have been booked under Sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 447 (punishment for criminal trespass), and 448 (punishment for house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.
The political leaders had been flown to Jharkhand to visit the family of a deceased girl who had been set afire by a man whose overtures she had not reciprocated.
'Obstacles Put by Hemant Soren Govt': BJP MPs on FIR
"I took the necessary permission from the Airport authorities. As Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, I have the right to inspect," Nishikant Dubey wrote on Twitter, in response to questions over the episode at the airport.
"These allegations being made because we had gone to support [the girl] who was set ablaze by [a boy]... This angered the Hemant Soren government so much... So, a lot of obstacles were put in the way of our visit, and when we came back, we found out there was an FIR. They are saying that we have fought with an airport official, and have also lodged a case against the official," BJP MP Manoj Tiwari told a news channel.
He admitted that Dubey had gone into the ATC, to talk to officials about night landing as he is chairman of the airport authority, and that he himself had accompanied him.
Airport Case Sets Off Twitter Spat Between Dubey, Deoghar DC
The dispute has also set off a feud between Dubey and Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri.
The BJP MP has said that the Election Commission has asked for the removal of the DC, based on a complaint by him against his "blatant misuse of power." Dubey shared that there is a case against the official for allegedly disrespecting national symbols.
"It is clear that the passengers entered the ATC in violation of the security standards of airport operations, despite the absence of night operation facilities, ignoring the safety of the passengers, without the clearance. pressure was created," DC Deoghar had said in a Twitter thread from the official account of the district administration, detailing the complaint received by the deputy commissioner in the airport incident.
The IAS officer had also posed questions to Dubey from his personal account.
In another tweet, Dubey added: "This act is similar to that of a criminal that you (DC Bhajantri) entered the premises without permission. In what capacity did you enter the airport? Who gave you the permission to see CCTV footages? You are frustrated. Continue to take orders from the CM."
Taking to Twitter, the IAS officer also tweeted the following:
(With inputs from ANI.)
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