Police opened fire in the air on Friday to disperse scores of mediapersons who had gathered before a local jail from where convicted former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife were being taken out.
Three mediapersons were injured in the scuffle. Tripathi, his wife Madhumani and two others — all convicted in the poetess Madhumita Shukla murder case — were being shifted to a Haridwar jail.

As vehicles carrying the four emerged out of the Dehra Dun district jail, the waiting mediapersons sought to catch a glimpse of Tripathi.

But the police tried to prevent them from taking any shot of the Tripathis triggering the clash.

Scribes beaten up

The police beat up the three scribes and fired in the air to scare them away. The mediapersons alleged that stones were hurled at them by policemen from inside the jail. The journalists later staged a dharna outside the jail demanding stern action against the prison authorities.

Meanwhile, Tripathi was taken to Roshanabad jail in Haridwar where the police tried to prevent journalists again from entering inside the jail.
After they were convicted on Wednesday, Dehra Dun district jail authorities withdrew all the VIP facilities to the couple.

Allegations

Tripathi was brought to Dehra Dun jail here after the case was transferred from Lucknow in March this year on the orders of Supreme Court following allegations by the slain poetess’ family members that he and his wife can impede a free and fair trial in UP.
The poetess was found murdered at her Lucknow residence on May 9, 2003. Madhumita, who was seven months’ pregnant, was murdered at the behest of Madhumani who was opposed to her affair with her husband.