7 booked for visiting Yamunotri shrine at night violating HC order

UTTARKASHI: Seven local pilgrims were booked for visiting Yamunotri shrine at night despite High Court having put a stay on Char Dham yatra, police said.

Manikant Mishra, superintendent of police (SP) Uttarkashi said, on Friday, seven people on way to Yamunotri were stopped at Janakichatti and asked to return, but they stealthily managed to visit the shrine at night. When the local police at Badkot police station came to know about it, they informed senior officials about the same and it was decided that given the violations, they should be booked, he said. Mishra said all the pilgrims - Budhi Prakash, Rakesh, Dheerendra, Urmila, Vinita, Sumati and Saurabh - in the age range 23 to 55 - are residents of Uttarkashi district.

They have been booked under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 51 (B) of Disaster Management Act on Saturday, he said.

Uttarkashi police, meanwhile, appealed to people not to come for pilgrimage as HC has stayed the Char Dham yatra amid fears of the third wave and delta plus variant.

After Covid cases started decreasing, the tourist and pilgrim influx has increased in the state. Over the last few weeks, thousands of people have been visiting hill stations and various shrines in the state, with most of them not following Covid appropriate behaviour. Uttarakhand high court on June 28 stayed the cabinet decision of the state government taken on June 25 to allow Char Dham yatra from July 1 for the locals of the three districts where the four Himalayan shrines are located. While Kedarnath shrine is in Rudraprayag district, Badrinath in Chamoli district, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines are in Uttarkashi district. On June 20, the state government had announced the opening of Char Dham yatra in two phases- from July 1, for locals from three districts.