Srinagar Mayor, Junaid Matto on Thursday said law will take its own course in a case of concealment of travel history by a brother of a corporator who was tested positive for coronavirus.
In a statement, the Mayor said there have been multiple,concerted attempts in the last two days to connect the SMC and his office withthe case of an unauthorized arrival and subsequent alleged concealment oftravel history by the brother of an SMC corporator, who was tested positive forCOVID19.
The Mayor said police have registered a case he was sure thelaw will take its course and bring truth to the fore so that justice can bedone.
Matto said at no time was he even aware about the issue. “Iwasn’t, at any point of time, aware of his reported unauthorized travel orarrival in Srinagar. This is evidenced by the fact that the particularcorporator visited my office after the arrival of his brother. Had I been awareof his brother’s arrival on April 26 and subsequent administrative quarantineon April 28, I wouldn’t have endangered my own safety and health by allowingany proximity with his primary contacts,” said Matto. “That’s basic commonsense and should be enough to discredit the baseless allegations against me.”
Matto said as soon as he was informed about the case, hepassed the instructions for immediate isolation and home quarantine of a numberof SMC corporators and officials, including himself.
“I have been in strict self-isolation and home-quarantineever since and continue to supervise SMC operations and initiatives from myresidence while continuing to insist that all possible precautions should betaken within the SMC,” he said.
“I am proud of how SMC has gone above and beyond the call ofduty to serve Srinagar in these trying circumstances. The evolution of SMC andits emergence as a scientific force in the face of adversity is something allof us are immensely proud of,” said Matto.
However, he said, politically motivated, disappointing andulterior attempts to connect the SMC or his office with the particular casewere distasteful and unfortunate.
“Politics can wait and can be resumed after the Pandemic isover,” he said. “Those who are trying so hard to engineer an elaborateconspiracy in this case – I wish them better mental health and hope theyrealize how their mischief mongering could possibly impede efforts required tofight against COVID.”
He said: “Four SMC corporators at the expected encouragementand incitement of a certain mischief monger have uploaded videos on socialmedia alleging that I facilitated the unauthorized entry of the particularpositive case into Srinagar. My lawyers are under the process of filingcriminal defamation cases against all four individuals.”
“Their lies and attempted propaganda constitutes to be acriminal offence and they shall be made answerable to the court of law fortheir baseless and motivated allegations,” he said.