A bus from Bhilai carrying a marriage party was stopped at the inter-state check post in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and was later released after the intervention of MLA from Palasa constituency.
The local police, however, denied allegations of any kind of highhandedness by the MLA. The incident took place at Pattupuram village, Meliaputti Mandal, Srikakulam district.
Talking to about the incident, Meliaputti Sub-Inspector P Siddhartha Kumar said a group of 24 people from Palasa town had gone to Bhilai for marriage in March.
"On the day they were scheduled to return, a nationwide lockdown was announced and so they were stuck in Bhilai all these days. At last, they took permission from the collector over there and returned to Andhra Pradesh," he said.
"However, police at Pattupuram inter-state check post stopped them as they had not obtained permission from the Srikakulam District Collector (DC). It took some time for them to get the required permission. The DC later issued permission to send them to Tekkali quarantine centre," he added.
Meanwhile, at around 9 pm, Palasa MLA Seediri Appalaraju went to the check post and asked the officials to release the bus. The police said that they had to be sent to the quarantine centre at Tekkali. The MLA, however, suggested that the occupants be sent to the quarantine centre at Palasa.
Although the police initially resisted, as they had received orders for the occupants to be taken to Tekkali only, the MLA intervened and the bus was sent to quarantine centre at Mandasa Youth Training Centre.
The police official denied any kind of high-handedness by the MLA saying, "The matter was amicably resolved and the bus including 24 persons plus driver and cleaner was sent to Mandasa quarantine."
( With inputs from ANI )