An independent MLA from Uttar Pradesh and 10 associates drove 200km within Uttarakhand on Sunday night amid the lockdown, apparently to attend post-death rituals for Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s father in Badrinath.

Aman Mani Tripathi, MLA from Nautanwa near Gorakhpur, was stopped by Chamoli district police, arrested and then sent on his way back to Dehradun despite claiming he had government permission.

Anand Singh Bisht, father of Adityanath, had died on April 20.

Dehradun district magistrate Ashish Srivastava told reporters: “He (Tripathi) and his family members were granted permission to travel on the basis of a recommendation from the (Uttarakhand) government.”

He did not mention specifics but added: “His application stated they had to reach Badrinath to attend a religious programme following the death of the UP chief minister’s father.”

A senior state police officer, however, said that travel permission for such a purpose would be invalid.

Sources said the 10 people accompanying Tripathi in three SUVs were not family members but political associates.

Chamoli district magistrate Swati Bhadauria told reporters that the temples, hotels and other establishments were closed in Badrinath and nobody was allowed to visit the town.

Girish Chandra, officer in charge of Karnprayag police station in Chamoli, said: “We intercepted the lawmaker and his associates and asked them to return.”

Chandra said the MLA had produced a document showing permission to travel but the police had orders not to let anybody in.

“He misbehaved with us and then turned back. We informed our seniors and they got the group intercepted near Munikireti police outpost, 10km from Karnprayag,” Chandra said.

“We arrested them on the charge of violating the government order (banning travel) and (risking) spreading a deadly disease. They were later released on furnishing personal bonds. We are investigating when and how he (Tripathi) came to Uttarakhand unnoticed; we have learnt he was in Lucknow a few days ago.”

An associate of Tripathi was quoted as saying: “He has been in Dehradun a fairly long time. The group had permission from the Uttarakhand home department to attend rituals in Badrinath on May 5 and Kedarnath on May 7. Whatever has happened shows a lack of coordination between the state’s departments.”

Ashok Kumar, Uttarakhand director-general of police (crime), said: “We are probing all aspects of the case.”

Tripathi’s father Amar Mani, former Samajwadi Party minister, and mother Madhumani are serving life terms in a Dehradun jail for killing a poet, Madhumita Shukla, in Lucknow in 2003. Aman Mani is accused of killing his wife Sara in 2015.