Basti, Dec 3 (IANS): An MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district has asked officials concerned to identify and attach properties owned by former minister Amar Mani Tripathi, who has skipped numerous court summons in connection with a 22-year-old kidnapping case of a school boy.

The former minister failed to appear before the court even after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.

Basti Chief Judicial Magistrate Pramod Giri also directed the District Superintendent of Police to constitute a team to ensure Tripathi’s arrest, and to produce details of the action taken against him under section 83 of the CrPC (attachment of property of person absconding).

The case pertains to the 2001 kidnapping of one Dharam Raj Gupta’s son in Basti, and was registered against Tripathi and six others.

The boy was later recovered from Tripathi’s residence in Lucknow.

Proceedings against the accused, except Tripathi and another accused Shivam, have already begun.

Following orders of the court, police slapped a notice on Tripathi under section 82 of Code of Criminal Procedure (proclamation for person absconding) on November 17.

After the fresh orders, the attachment of Tripathi’s assets may be taken up.

ASP Depender Nath said a new team of police personnel would be constituted to arrest Tripathi.

Notably, Tripathi and his wife Madhumani, who were serving life imprisonment in poetess Madhumita Shukla murder case, were prematurely released on August 25 for ‘good behaviour’.

They, however, remain at the private ward of BRD Medical College and avoided appearing before the court citing health issues.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed December 20 as the next date of hearing over an apology sought by a police station in-charge after he was charged with contempt of court and accused of negligence in discharging his duties in the case against Tripathi.