BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari booked for ‘trespassing’ - Here’s what happened

New Delhi: Jharkhand Police has registered an FIR against BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey, his two sons, MP Manoj Tiwari, Deoghar airport director, and others. The FIR was allegedly registered for ‘forcefully’ taking clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) for take-off from Deoghar airport on August 31 even as there is no ‘night take-off or landing facility’ there.

The district administration of Deoghar claimed that the BJP MPs broke rules as they went to visit the family members of the Dumka girl who was set ablaze by a stalker. Nine persons, including Mr Dubey, Mr Tiwari and the airport director, have been charged with endangering the life or safety of others and criminal trespass, police said. 

The pilot of the plane was pressurising for a clearance, though night landing is not allowed at the airport, Deoghar deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri claimed. Additionally, Nishikant Dubey, on the other hand, filed a zero FIR against Deoghar DC in Delhi for obstructing his work.

“Nine persons, including both the MPs — Nishikant Dubey and Manoj Tiwari — and the airport director were booked under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 447 (punishment for criminal trespass), 448 (punishment for house-trespass),” said Kunda police station in-charge Praveen Kumar.

The incident comes amid the ongoing political crisis in Jharkhand. According to the reports, the alleged trespassing took place on August 31. 

Meanwhile, the incident has also sparked a heated exchange between Mr Dubey and Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri. While the IAS officer wrote a letter to the Principal Secretary, Cabinet Coordination (Civil Aviation), Jharkhand, on the issue; Mr Dubey wrote to the district police chief, accusing the bureaucrat of obstructing his work.

In his letter, the IAS officer explained that he was "shocked and alarmed" after Mr Dubey and others entered the ATC room in breach of security. "Security in-charge further noticed that the pilot and the passengers were pressurizing that they may be given clearance for the takeoff. As a result, the ATC clearance was given," he said in the letter.

Soon after this, Mr Dubey took it to Twitter and targeted the IAS officer in one of his tweets and called him a "chamcha" (meaning lackey) of the Chief Minister.