Sister urges governor not to pardon Amarmani

DEHRADUN: The sister of Madhumita Shukla, who was murdered by former Uttar Pradesh legislator Amarmani Tripathi in 2003, requested the Uttarakhand governor not to accept the mercy petition filed by Tripathi.

Madhumita’s sister Nidhi Shukla made the request during a press conference she addressed in Dehradun on Saturday.

Madhumita, a poet who was allegedly in a relationship with Tripathi, was allegedly murdered by Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi with two other acquaintances.

The couple is now serving life terms for the murder. Tripathi and his wife are, however, staying in the wards of Nehru Chikitsalaya of Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das Medical College for last 4 years, citing treatment for ailments.

The hearing of the case was transferred to the Uttarakhand high court from Uttar Pradesh on request of Madhumita’s family members.

Tripathi filed the mercy petition before the governor citing his old age and ill health. “He filed the petition about 15 days ago. It was surprising and shocking for us as we were not informed by the authorities concerned about the petition,” Nidhi said.

“We came to know about this from our sources. We then rushed to present our response to the petition on Friday, in which we requested the governor to not grant mercy to him who is accused in at least 33 criminal cases,” she said, adding that Tripathi was lying about his health condition.

After the case was transferred to Uttarakhand, Tripathi should have been shifted to a jail in the hill state, but he is living “with comfort at Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur,” she said.

“In Gorakhpur he (Tripathi) and his wife are staying in the hospital for treatment of ailments which have never been disclosed. It is all farce. He is totally fine and is assisted by the jail authorities of Uttar Pradesh in living there,” Nidhi said.

“I request the governor to direct that Tripathi be lodged at a jail in Uttarakhand, and not to pardon the punishment,” she said.